12 days of Christmas - Ponder PLANS

We made it through Advent, and the twelve days of Christmas now begin, leading up to Epiphany. Much is written about the magi's visit, often lumped together with Christ's birth and included in our beloved nativity scenes. I'm not going to delve into any of that too deeply; I simply want you to think a bit as we end this year and move forward.

It has been an extremely rough few months for our family. There have been health problems, mental health worries, legal and court proceedings, work changes, retirement challenges, and so much more. Our family is not large, but we walk through things together. Those real-life mountains didn't magically crumble for us to celebrate a smooth Christmas. On the outside (or on social media), it may have looked like all is well. How many of you looked at all of the beautiful pictures posted by your friends and thought, "Their holiday is so much better than mine. They don't have any crises happening. Look at how perfect their life is." We all know what was happening when the camera wasn't on or what filters were added to pretty things up. At the beginning of Advent, I intended to write an entry each day. That simply didn't happen. Some days I was driving to various hospitals or medical visits. Others, I was trying to plan and maintain normalcy in our lives amidst the chaos. Mixed in, there were a couple of Christmas parties and events that gave moments of joy and laughter. Our home was decorated with all my favorite things, yet sometimes those items caused tears as I remembered happier times when life was simpler.

Christmas Day has always been a tough day for me. Once the weeks of preparation and expectation have ended in a fun celebration, it crashes in on me hard. This year was no different. Added to my normal melancholy was facing the troubles still ahead that didn't magically disappear on Christmas Day. I have so much to be thankful for, and I often thank God for those blessings. I also question, "Why?" 

Today I started a new knitting project.  It is just a small one, to last the 12 days of Christmas. It is a mystery knit-a-long, done with other knitters worldwide.  The designer will release a new clue each day, and though we have basic guidelines like how much yarn, type of yarn, size of needles, etc. I don't know what the pattern or the finished product will look like. It may be something I wouldn't choose, but there is that call of the unknown. So I set aside my large contract knitting piece to do a fun project with just a bit of knitting every day as each clue is released. I can control the colors, the tension in the yarn, the type of yarn, and the brand of needles I use.  I have a part in what the finished project will look like, but someone else is the designer. I could change what the directions say, but the end product will look different from what the designer planned. For this project, I will follow directions. I will interpret those instructions as best as possible, and hopefully, my finished item will look as intended.

We are God's works in progress. He has a design and plan for each of us. We have guidelines of His plan for our lives (the Bible), but often we veer off in our own direction. He still loves us and deeply desires us to follow His plan. Like with my knitting, I have clear directions, but it is still up to me to follow. I can't control how all the other knitters doing this mystery project approach their process.  I can't control how others follow God's plan for their lives. I must keep my focus on the Designer of my life.  

As I journey through these next 12 days leading up to Epiphany, I will share as I can. Hopefully, my musings will cause you to think a bit about your own journey. There is no promise our journey will be smooth, but we have a God who walks with us no matter what.

We can make our own plans, but the Lord gives the right answer. People may be pure in their own eyes, but the Lord examines their motives. Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed. Proverbs 16:1-3 NLT

Challenge: What are your plans to finish out this year? Take some time today to evaluate how you have followed God's plan for your life. Where might you make adjustments to follow His plan more closely than your own? 

Prayer: Thank you, God, for sending Jesus to be born. Your plan seems hard to follow at times, but I trust it.  Help me through each day as I seek to follow Your plan. Let me see my life as You see it, and do my best to live into Your design. May others see You in me in all I do. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

Advent 2022 - Ponder VALUE

A  big one to ponder today - value. As a noun- Worth; Price; Importance. The value of a thing is worth what it will bring in market. As a verb -  To rate at a high price; to esteem; to consider with respect for importance.

I have been filling out a survey today about an amusement park I visited with my daughter and granddaughters.  It was a wonderful holiday evening, stepping into a  make-believe world for a few hours of Christmas joy. There were several questions about the value of our experience. At first, as I pondered how to rate the experience, I wanted to rate it very low. I purchased our tickets way early in the year at a reduced rate, so I got a good value.  To enhance the experience, many additional 'add-ons' increased the value of our pleasant experience but caused the value of the monetary side to go down. Like many things we participate in, from ball games, concerts, movies, and amusement parks, we think we are getting a good deal by buying early, using coupons, and taking advantage of special offers. Ultimately, we still have to decide if it is worth spending exorbitant amounts on food, special passes so we don't have to wait in line, or even extra dollars to park close and not walk as far. What do we value more? The wonderful experience of spending time with our loved ones and laughing together, making memories, or the money we have to spend to do it?  In retirement, I have come to the place of extreme planning. I search for deals and try to make the dollars spread as far as possible. I watched many families last night braving the cold and rain to spend some time in a Christmas wonderland.  I also watched as children were told "we can't get hot cocoa right now; it's a little too expensive."  Or "we can't go into the petting zoo; it costs extra." (I rated our visit fairly high and expressed my monetary concerns in the comments.  I would love for more families to enjoy that experience more affordably.)

This isn't a critique of the place we visited, it truly is a wonderful place, and I will go back again. This is more about where we place value. It often is looked at only as monetary. Like many of you, our family has struggled this year. All of us have to decide where to spend time and money. Thankfully, with careful planning and sacrificing some small things, I can enjoy these special things with my granddaughters.  As we are fond of saying in our family, "we will never have this moment again." 

What do you value the most? All of our Christmas trees may have fewer gifts this year. Our vacations may be more 'staycations' and smaller events. We may be missing a loved one around our table, so the memories become even more precious.  We are just a few days away from the thing children look forward to most, discovering what surprises are wrapped up in all those boxes and bags. There may be some long-awaited treasure that gets unwrapped.  Or there may be hurt feelings because the biggest desire isn't met in a gift. The thing I value most is something far bigger. I desire the ones I love and those I meet to know, without a doubt, that the thing of the greatest value can't be wrapped up in a box or bag. There may be a time when the amusement park can't be visited, or the special gift can't be bought, yet the God who gave me the greatest gift will always be there for me.

"Don't store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be." Matthew 6:19-21 NLT

"For this is how God loved the world; He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him." John 3:16-17

Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it. Proverbs 22:6 NLT

Enjoy these last few days before Christmas as well as you can, but don't stop pondering.

Challenge: What do you value? What value do you place on God in the lives of the ones you love? As you wrap, give, go, and enjoy, are the things you are spending time and money on earthly treasures or heavenly ones? Find a way today to have a quiet talk with God about your priorities in values. 

Prayer: Father God, help me to see the value my life has in You. As I enjoy the abundance of this season, help me to look beyond it all and nurture the ultimate gift in my heart. Help me to share Jesus with those I love and help them see that my treasure isn't in things but in You. Move mightily in those I love; draw them closer to You so they will know the greatest treasure. In Jesus' name, I pray Amen.

Enjoy all of the pleasures of the season in whatever way you can. 

Advent 2022 - Ponder HARK

Like me, I'm sure you have sung the words "Hark, the herald angels sing!" many times through the years. The very short definition of hark is to listen. My  Webster's 1828 dictionary even states This word is rarely or never used, except in the imperative mode, hark, that is, listen, hear. This is one of the beloved Christmas carols that I can sing without opening a hymnal. Like many old songs I grew up with, I often don't think about the words. These last few days, as I have listened to Christmas music, I have been pondering hark. 

When I get extremely familiar with routines, people, and songs, the interaction becomes such a habit that I don't really listen. I have been listening to the local Christian radio station in my car lately, and every day at noon, they have someone lead listeners in the Lord's Prayer. I also grew up with that prayer and love it. The station has a pastor, business leader, or a first responder lead the prayer daily. As I was listening along (eyes open, of course, since I was driving!) I absorbed those words that I have recited so often. That is one of the few things I recite in the King James version because that is how I learned it. I wonder how many of us simply recite that prayer without listening or hearing it?

Here it is from the New Living Translation: 

Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. And don't let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one. Matthew 6:9-13 NLT

Hark! The herald angels sing! Listen up; something exciting is happening, don't let it pass you by. We are about a week out from celebrating the birth of Jesus. School is out, travel will begin, last minute preparations will take place. Are you listening? As I hear and sing these familiar songs this year, I'm preparing my heart to listen. I want to immerse myself in the meaning of these lyrics. So much of what we do in our day is routine. So much of what we do during this season is routine, like singing Silent Night and holding a candle as we finish the Christmas Eve service. It's comfortable, familiar, and like a warm hug. 

This year - hark. Listen to what you sing and let the words wash over your soul. Hark! The herald angels sing, "Glory to the newborn king." I read up a bit on this song. Like many, it has an interesting history. Written by Charles Wesley in 1739 and altered by George Whitfield in 1753, it was originally sung to a rather drear tune and later altered to use Mendelssohn 51171, how we know it today. The song reminds us that Jesus was born to give us second birth. As you travel through this last week before Christmas, focus not only on the baby in the manger but, more importantly, on the savior.  

Mild he lays his glory by, born that we no more may die, born to raise us from the earth, born to give us second birth. HARK!

Challenge: This week, listen to the sounds and routines of the season all around you. Listen with new ears to old familiar lyrics. Let them refresh you and remind you of the God who made all of this happen just for you.

Prayer: Father God, help me to listen for Your voice. As I sing familiar words burn them into my heart just as the authors from long ago felt when they wrote them. Help me to hear You in the smallest of things, then move in my heart in a big way. Come, Lord Jesus...... Amen.

Advent 2022 - Ponder TREES

Trees are mentioned in the Bible more than any living thing other than God and people. And every major character has a tree associated with it. Jesus died on a tree because it was prophesied in the Old Testament. Trees, like Jesus, give rather than take. Christianity.com, Trees in the Bible.

I pondered why I am so drawn to trees.  I'm sitting in my den, the window is open, and I can hear light rain dripping from the tall trees outside. There is a carpet of leaves on the ground, being watered by that rain. They are yellow and dead separate from the branches where they drew life all through the summer. Now they will decompose, adding nutrients and life back into the ground to be fed upon by the trees once again.

If you search online about trees in the Bible, I think you will be surprised at the number of articles, studies, and information that pop up. I just know I love trees. I love the sound of wind in the pines, the scent of blossoms in the spring, and the shade they provide during our hot Texas weather. I love the crackle of logs in a fireplace as the tree provides heat.

Now here we are in the middle of the Christmas season, and we bring trees into our homes. We decorate, admire, and enjoy them. I have an ornament on my tree that no one ever notices. I have had it for about 20 years, and it always hangs near the trunk. When I put that ornament on the tree, I remember. I remember the trunk of a tree that Jesus died on. The large nails that were driven through his hands and feet. Trees.

Trees provide so much for us! Paper, furniture, food, fuel, and pure pleasure simply by sitting under one on a hot day. I grew up in logging country, in the mountains of California. Those forests provided so much for our community. From the men who worked harvesting, trucking, and processing at the mill and all the support that went with it. The trees even provided for our family. My father owned a tire business. The majority of his business came from the loggers. Many of the young people in that community had their first jobs at the mill, and some remained there for many years. Twelve years ago, my sister and I traveled to our hometown to bury our mom. We spent a day driving up the highway, reminiscing about childhood and that lovely drive from Jackson, CA, toward Lake Tahoe. Nothing was the same. When I grew up, those forests were lush and beautiful because they were properly cared for. Now the mills are mostly closed. The livelihood that the forest provided has dwindled. The very act of trying to save the trees has in many ways been their demise. Trees can be a hot topic and critics on both sides of the issue of how trees should be maintained spark arguments and discussions. I commented recently on our local homeowner's website about the trees being cut down near our home to allow more homes to be built. There were angry comments almost immediately. Both sides - why the trees need to be cut and why they don't. I deleted my comment and went on my way. Trees can cause a lot of discussions!

So what does this jumble of thoughts have to do with Advent? We wait for Jesus. We will commemorate his birth, and we wait for his second coming. From the beginning of Genesis and the tree of life to Revelation and the words we read there:

And if anyone removes any of the words from this book of prophecy, God will remove that person's share in the tree of life and in the holy city that are described in this book. He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon!" Amen! Come Lord Jesus! May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's holy people. Revelation 22:19-21. NLT

I'm so thankful that trees renew themselves. Trees remind me that God is in the restoration and renewal business. When small seeds drop to the ground and seem dead, a new tree can spring up. Trees remind me to keep planting seeds. To keep looking to God for the renewal that only He can bring. May the small seeds of faith and trust in God that I plant grow into a mighty tree of devotion to Him. 

Challenge: Notice trees today. Ponder how a tree can be an example for you of provision by God. Take some quiet moments to study a bit about trees in the Bible. Stand under a tree and simply take it in, remembering what Jesus did for you on a dead tree, so that you can live!

Prayer: Lord, help me to notice all of your creation. Renew me like you do the trees. Help the seeds planted in me to grow and flourish, then help me sow those seeds into others so that they can grow strong in You. Help me to be useful in Your kingdom, and keep me ever watchful as I wait.......... In Jesus' name. Amen.

Advent 2022 - Ponder MEMORIES

Memory is a funny thing. Some of us have great memories, while others struggle with memory. I watched my mother in her last years, battling dementia, and struggling with short-term memory yet she could recall long-ago memories of childhood and early adulthood. Memories often evoke strong emotions, especially during the holidays.

Over the weekend, I spent some time with our ten-year-old granddaughter. We enjoyed some fun activities together and spent some time riding in the car, which is perfect for conversation. She voiced a few concerns about how her Grandpa doesn't seem to do much anymore; she remembered living in Fredericksburg and the fort and tree house he built. She remembered golf cart rides and other adventures around our property. When I told her I had few memories with my grandparents, she was quiet. One of my grandfathers had died before I was born, and the other three grands died the year I was ten. Her age. She pondered for a moment, then asked, "How do you know so  much about them?"

My paternal grandmother lived about an hour's drive from us. That was quite the drive, unlike today where driving an hour is no big deal. The other two lived halfway across the country. They would travel by train to visit us once a year. I learned the most about my grandparents by listening to my parent's stories and memories. One story that I asked my Dad to tell me often was about their Christmas traditions.  My Dad was the parent that I loved to celebrate with! I was his helper in putting up lights; in his OCD fashion, we would go out every night after work so that he could check to make sure none of the bulbs had burned out and that all was still in order. I still love putting up and looking at Christmas lights; it is a way of remembering my Dad. Christmas for him was quite different as a young boy. He was the first generation born in the states and lived in a small German community in Nebraska. There were no early decorations then. He recalled going to church on Christmas Eve, and when they returned, the tree would have been brought into their home, and they would light the candles on the tree after church. Christmas Eve was always a fond memory and family time for my Dad. A time for family and remembering.

I have so many memories of my parents. Mom lived to age 87, and Dad died at age 58 before I married or had children. I was only 22. My memories of my parents live on. Our daughter also didn't have much time with her grandparents, so I do my best to tell the stories. I know I repeat them often, and sometimes I think no one is listening. I was listening when my parents told stories. I would get bored with them and complain, "Can I go to my room now!?" I'm so thankful now that I heard those stories so many times.

Much of what we do at Christmas time is about memories. We remember, plan things to make memories, and carry on traditions with our families. I also know that not everyone has fond memories, so remembering can be hard. I choose to pass along some of the hard things too. I recall the last Christmas I saw my Dad. I had just finished basic training for the Air Force and was on a break before heading to technical school. When I got home, though I knew he was battling cancer, I was shocked at the shell of himself that he had become. I have just a few pictures of him that Christmas; he was so frail and thin. Not the strong man I remembered. We had a fun Christmas, and too soon, I was gone back to Illinois. Little did I know that I would never see him alive again when I left. I don't think about that last Christmas with him much. I choose to remember the previous 21 Christmases and all of the things that made them special with my Dad. I don't recall the hard ones, and there were some of those when things weren't perfect.

Sharing memories is important. After Moses had his encounter with God and received the Ten Commandments, he shared this word with the people:

.....And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to the commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up...... Deuteronomy 6:6-7 NLT

Another verse I cling to, and claim. 

Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it. Proverbs 22:6 NLT

Sometimes we think that the memories we pass along are falling on deaf ears. The Truth we are sharing is not received. Share it anyway. Children may not be interested in hearing about the 'old days'. Tell them anyway. I didn't always want to hear my parent's Depression-era stories or about life on the farm in Iowa and Nebraska, but now I am so thankful that they always told me. It is sometimes hard to keep telling Jesus' story, when it seems like no one is listening, tell it anyway.

Challenge: Tell stories this Advent season. If you don't have children or grandchildren, share them with someone. Make sure your story and memories don't die with you. Challenge part two - listen. Find a friend or neighbor who may be alone and ask their story. Carry on their story for them. Everyone has memories. Let's all keep sharing them, so they aren't lost forever. 

Advent 2022 - Ponder CONTRAST

Contrast: The state of being strikingly different from something else in juxtaposition or close association.

This season demonstrates great contrast. Last weekend I was on a 4-day mini trip away with my sister. We were immersed in Hallmark-movie-worthy Christmas activities, decor, atmosphere, and mood. Contrast that with now. Just in my family and extended family alone, we have health conditions (including ER visits), ongoing auto-immune flareups, busy schedules, mental health battles, struggles with aging, court battles, tweens, and teens that are more interested in phones and their rooms than fun Christmas activities, bills larger than income, job struggles, devastating diagnoses and Just because the calendar reads December, doesn't mean that all of the struggles stop. Joyful music, happy decorations, parties, and special events can be depressing. I have friends who lost loved ones this year, so they face a new normal this season. Regardless of our blessings, struggles and difficulties often take center stage.

I have heard friends say, "Oh, I don't decorate anymore. No small children and no one coming to visit, so putting up all of the decorations and the trouble aren't worth it". I will always decorate. I do it for me. Even when the memories of past holidays are sad from longing, or those around me aren't interested in the silly things I enjoy, I do it anyway. I listen to the songs, I cry a bit sometimes, yet I play them anyway. Deep inside, it is all a connection with how things were and how I hope things will be again. Christmas does that for me. It takes the contrast and brings it all together. The messy, sad, happy, joyful, and nostalgic moments are all part of advent for me. 

So how do I handle the contrast between "Have yourself a merry little Christmas" and "Nobody knows the trouble I've seen"? Like this:

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Hebrews 13:8 NLT

"I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world." John 16:33 NLT

As I sit and look at my beautifully decorated tree and fondly remember Christmases past, I also know that in those Christmases past, there were struggles too. The fond memories are what last. So I will continue to celebrate, look at the contrasts and focus on Jesus, who doesn't change. I will pray with my trusted friends, those to whom I can show my sorrow. And I will always have hope.

Challenge: Look at the contrasts in your life and ponder how you handle them. How do you handle the challenges and joys of the season? Take a few moments today to ponder contrasts.

Prayer: Father God, help me to keep my eyes on You as the season progresses. Help me look beyond the happy and the sad and rely on the steadiness of my faith in Jesus. Help me remember that Jesus is the same, and he will be my strength. In his name, I pray. Amen.

Advent 2022 - Ponder BEHOOVE

When I was growing up, I hated this word - behoove. Whenever my mother would say it to me, I assumed I would be in trouble or some punishment was coming. I never really knew what behoove meant; I simply knew I better do what she said!

So I decided to dig in and see if this word is actually what I think it is.

Webster's 1828 Dictionary describes it like this: To be necessary for; to be fit for; with respect to necessity, duty or convenience.  Also this: And thus it behooved Christ to suffer.

Back to Mom - "It would behoove you to clean your room now!" "It would behoove you to put your laundry away." I always just thought I would be punished if I didn't, so it was beneficial to obey.

So it behooved Christ to suffer? It was necessary, duty? Actually yes. He was born to die, for us.

Luke 24:25 NLT Then Jesus said to them, "You foolish people! You find it so hard to believe all that the prophets wrote in the Scriptures. Wasn't it clearly predicted that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering his glory!" 

It was necessary. Jesus being born, living sinless, and being crucified was not a punishment. It was his purpose. As we journey through Advent, focusing on the wonder of Jesus' birth is easy. I want to spend equal time on his coming again. Pondering the necessity of his existence to redeem us can be overwhelming. It behooves me to explore it more!

So was my mother saying I would be punished? Maybe not. Perhaps she was simply saying I needed to do what was expected of me as part of the family. It was my duty to be responsible for certain things. It didn't mean it was a punishment; it was things that were my responsibility to do. Jesus had a duty and purpose. I'm sure he didn't want to go to the Cross, any more than I wanted to clean my room, but it was necessary.

Challenge: Ponder what your duty is. Think deeply about it; what are you fit for? What is your purpose for this Advent? Does Jesus get lost in your holiday preparation? Do we lose sight of him as we sing, decorate, shop, and gather for parties? Are a quick prayer and special worship service enough? Do we picture that baby in a manger more than the image of his glorious return? It would behoove us all to ponder the necessity of Advent. Jesus is coming again; I want to be ready.

Prayer: Lord, help me see what my purpose is. Lead me, by Jesus' example, to be obedient to You. Help me lay down my wants and expectations, then let me see what You have for me. Prepare my heart for it to be filled to overflowing with Jesus. In his name, I pray, Amen.