Anticipating Christmas All Year Long

“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

With anticipation
The people waited years
To realize the Promise told
Through many griefs and tears.

Once it was shouted through
The dirty, cobbled streets,
But then as life and wars increased
It’s strains of Hope began to cease.

Silenced by life’s grief and pain
The hope of a Deliverer seemed in vain.
Four hundred years, without a Word,
It seemed the Promise was absurd.

Pain and poverty paralyzed
The joy and luster left their eyes.

Would the Savior really come
Restore the Kingdom like
David had done?

Was this perhaps just another dream
or manipulation—a government’s scheme?

Silently, pushed ahead
By a pregnant wife,
Joseph knew what the Angel said,

But would Mary give birth on the city street?
The world was settling in to sleep.
“A stable out behind the Inn
Go out there, I’ll let you in.”

The Promise crept in on baby’s feet
As the whole world lay fast asleep!
The King did come that very night
Rescuing man from evil’s plight.

Angels, shepherds and little sheep
All bowed amazed at Jesus feet.
The Promised Deliverer really came
And Nothing has ever been the same.

 He will come again, just like He said,
While once again we wait.
But never fear, dear Child,
Our God is never late.

By Darla J Short-Lewis

Thanksgiving With Gratitude

“Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.” Psalm 30:4

Where does thankfulness come from?
Does it involuntarily jump up like a playful kitten
Ready to pounce?
Or does it tiptoe into one’s room
Where hurt or pain has trounced?

When I don’t feel thankful . . .
Can I choose to open my heart’s door?
And there concede I really do have
So much to be thankful for.

Our lives are so filled with busyness
And we’re ever in such a hurry,
You’d think to show a bit of gratitude
Would be too much to curry.

Yet our Loving , Heavenly Father,
Who never takes His eyes off of us,
Ever so often reminds us to always
“Give thanks and trust.”

“Trust? with life as crazy as it gets
Would be insane,” you say.
But when you finally bow your head—
Humbled as you pray—

You are only giving what is due
The One who gives your every breath,
Then carries you to Heaven,
Past the sting of death.

This year, when we gather in our homes
To offer God a blessing . . .
May we allow Him precedence
Over the turkey and the dressing.

By Darla J Short-Lewis

Transformed

“And do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. That you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”
Romans 12:2

This is one of my favorite scriptures. The first few words, “Do not be conformed to this world” was easy for me. I never wanted to conform with anything! To be the same as other people always seemed boring, “cookie cutter people” is what I thought. That is, until I became a Christian. But, even then, I was at a loss with the stereotypical descriptions that came to mind.

Then one day, as I read the above scripture, I realized God never wanted me to conform into something I wasn’t but to be transformed . . . transformed by renewing my mind. Throw out all those images I had in my mind of what a Christian looked like. Then came the question . . . how was I going to transform into someone who knew what the will of God was?

Well, by submitting my will to the will of the only perfect One, Jesus Christ our Lord. His death on the cross transformed this sinner into a saint (a set apart one). Anyone can conform with their surroundings, but to rise above—to be changed from the inside out—is the work of the Holy Spirit.

Easier said than done, huh? That’s how I felt (remember I’m the non-conformist). If the Holy Spirit was going to transform me into the image of God AND teach me to know the will of God, wouldn’t I be just like everyone else?

"Yes and no".

“For as in one body we have many members and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many are one body in Christ and individually members of one another.”
Romans 12:4- 5

We are all different. But in the body of Christ our differences are not a bad thing. Even non-conformists like me can be used by God. He transformed me by changing me from being self centered into being others centered. When I study His word, He gives me words to write to encourage others. He lets me be me by showing others how I love Jesus and how thankful I am for His transforming power in my life.

“Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.” Romans 12:9-13

These scriptures initially made me stop and ask, “Lord, if everybody is doing the same thing doesn’t that make us all the same?”

“Yes and no.”

“Again, Lord?!”

The best part of being transformed by God is that I can freely bring Him my questions, doubts, even my quirks. I can be myself and know I’m loved exactly the way I am—the new and improved me who longs to be a blessing to my Lord and encourage His daughters.

“I appeal to you therefore brothers (and sisters) by the mercies of God to present your bodies as a living sacrifice holy and acceptable to God which is your spiritual worship.” Romans 12:1

That my friends, is the first step to being transformed. He takes you just the way you are and transforms you into something beautiful and new.

By Eve Montano

Ambushed

“Then we departed from the river Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month, to go to Jerusalem. The hand of our God was on us, and He delivered us from the hand of the enemy and from ambushes by the way.”
Ezra 8:31

I wake up with thoughts on how my day should be. I pray asking God for His hand to lead me, but sometimes I get ambushed. It then becomes all about how I handle it, what I do to get past it. Am I immediately turning to the Lord and giving it to Him, or do I let it consume me while I wallow in a pity party, crying “Why me?” God lets me flail around—trying to figure things out by using my limited understanding—until finally I ‘let go and let God’.

The fact is, the battle has always belonged to the Lord.

“And that all this assembly may know that the LORD saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the LORD's, and He will give you into our hand."
1 Samuel 17:47

Please remember—regardless of how big or how little the ambush is—God can handle it. He takes away the fear of the unknown and replaces it with the peace of the known—the love of God and His faithfulness that never fails.

He will ultimately smooth out the way, sometimes by removing a problem, or by walking with you through it. If at times He has to steady you when you stumble or carry you when you can’t take the next step, the fact remains, Child of God, you won’t go through it alone—never alone.

“Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level and the rough places a plain.” Isaiah 40:40

Ambushes in life will happen—no one can guarantee they won’t. But, when we take our eyes off the problem and put them on Jesus, He carries us to the other side.

“He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might He increases strength.“ Isaiah 40:29

By Eve Montano

Fear Not, Stand Firm and See

“Moses said to the people, "Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will work for you today. For the Egyptian whom you see today, you shall never see again.
Exodus 14:13

God would never tell us to stand still if He didn’t have a plan. And He would not say wait if it wasn’t for a greater purpose. His!

Wait and stand still are not words we like to hear, especially in this age of instant gratification. The world is spinning at a fast pace. We want answers Now. We want to get there Fast, and waiting makes us grumpy.

But God says ‘Be still’

"Be still, and know that I am God. Psalms 46:10

It is in the stillness—in the waiting—we find the things that are worth waiting for. Some people feel doing nothing is a waste of time. But, that’s when faith is strengthened, hope is restored, and perspective is sharpened. I remember thinking that if I didn’t act on something immediately I would miss out. But, over time, I’ve learned God's timing is much better than mine. It is the goodness of God that says “Stand still, salvation comes through me. Wait. My goodness is at work for you.”

“I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living.” Psalms 27:13

As you wait on the Lord, trust Him with the outcome. Israel had the Egyptians behind them, the mountains around them, and the sea before them.

“Fear not, Stand Firm!”

Really God!? Not me. You do something now, Lord!

“Be silent!”

How can I be? Help!”

I can imagine the panic in their eyes, but they did as they were told and when the Lord said “Move,” they did.

“The Lord said to Moses, "Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward.” Exodus 14:15

And then God used Moses to do the impossible:

“Lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it that the people of Israel may go through on dry ground”. Exodus 14:16

How I wish I could have seen that! The next time you feel rushed or feel you’re going to miss out on something, remember God's timing is perfect. It always comes at the right time!

“For while we were still weak, at the right time; Christ died for us.”
Romans 5:6

By Eve Montano