AND JESUS WAS BORN IN A STABLE IN BETHLEHEM

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But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. (Luke 2:19, NIV)


Have you ever wanted to travel back in time to be an eyewitness of the celestial celebration that took place in Bethlehem the night that Jesus was born?  Now, I’m a bit fussy about fashion, but I’d even consider donning shepherd garb and hanging out with a few sheep for that opportunity! To see angels fill the sky, to hear the voice of God through the cries of a baby. To catch a glimpse of the brilliant Star of David, and to satisfy my curiosity as to what exactly a host of heavenly angels sounds like.
Oh, and to talk to Mary!  Wouldn’t that be amazing to hear what she was thinking as she witnessed, and took part in the greatest miracle ever known to man? This baby she gave birth to was God-in-flesh, a true bundle of love.  What do you think she treasured in her heart as she took it all in?  I’m struck by this thought:  As she held the Hope of the world, the Hope of the world was also holding her. Ponder that!
The baby born in a barn that holy night long ago is the Hope of the world - the Grace that saves us - the Love that heals us.  Jesus is Hope that changes our worthless into precious, our guilty to forgiven, our hungry into satisfied, and our empty into full.  His presence is inescapable.  We cannot flee from His stubborn grip.  The psalmist, David said: “If I go up to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in the depths, You are there.  If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there Your hand will guide me, Your right hand will hold me fast” (Psalm 139:8-10).

The Bible tells us in the New Testament that Jesus Christ sits at the right hand of God, the Father in heaven and that He “holds us fast.” Relish that thought. The Hope that holds us is Jesus Christ. You and I are held by Hope.
In the Old Testament, God told Joshua that He would “never leave or forsake” him (Joshua 1:5). God says the same to us. He will never leave us or forsake us; no matter the circumstances, not matter the diagnoses, no matter the financial struggle. Our faithful LORD is the same yesterday, today, and forever. We can rest assured that in everything, we are held by Hope.
After His resurrection and before His ascension into heaven, Jesus said, “Surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age" (Matthew 28:20).  My girlfriend Mary Southerland often reminds people that the word “always” actually means … drum roll please … "always!"  He is always with us.  Always loving us.  Always wanting us to find comfort, refuge, joy and satisfaction in Him.
As a Christmas approaches and New Year dawns, let’s be mindful of God’s promise that we are never alone. Just like the shepherds received the headline news of Jesus’ birth from singing angels so long ago, receive this glad tiding of great joy today: If you are in Christ, then you are held by Hope.

Love, Jesus

The more we call on the Lord
the more we can feel his Presence.
Day by day he draws us closer
to his loving heart.

GOD'S GIFTS TO US

Luke 2:8-12“There were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.  An angel of the Lord appeared to them; and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.  This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." (NIV)
Second truth: We must give the right gifts to Him.
Christmas is the birthday of Jesus Christ. Yet, we celebrate His birthday by giving gifts to everyone but Him.  What gifts does He want from us? What gifts are fit for the King? To answer that question, let’s go back to that first Christmas and see what gifts He received that first Christmas night.

·      The gift of trust

The gift of trust was given to Jesus by Mary, a teenage girl who was engaged to Joseph. I can only imagine what thoughts raced through her mind when an angel appeared to Mary announcing she would give birth to a son named Jesus. I am certain she could not have possibly understood what the angel told her, but she knew the one who sent the angel, and that was enough for Mary. I can almost guarantee you it would not have been enough for me if I had been in her place. After all, she was a virgin and last time I checked, virgins cannot be pregnant. What would Joseph think? Trust shines best in the darkness. Trust is a gift fit for the King.
Proverbs 3:5-6“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight (NASB).

·      The gift of obedience

Joseph gave Jesus the gift of obedience. He was betrothed to Mary, and in Jesus’ day, a betrothal was legally binding. While engaged, Mary becomes pregnant. Joseph knows he is not the father of this baby because he has never slept with Mary. His first reaction was to divorce Mary quietly, but an angel comes to him and explains that Joseph is to keep her but not sleep with her. Joseph’s response could have been many things but he responded with obedience.
John 14:15(NIV) "If you love me, you will obey what I command.”
Obedience is not just an outward action, but an inner attitude. I love the story of the small child who was riding in the front seat of the car. Wanting to be close to his dad, the youngster stood to his feet. Dad said, “Son, please sit down and put on your seat belt.” The little boy said, “But dad, I want to stand by you!” It took several attempts but the boy finally sat down. When his father bragged on his obedience, the little boy responded, “I may be sitting down on the outside, but I’m still standing on the inside.” Obedience is a deliberate choice to do what God wants us to do. Obedience is a gift fit for the King.

·      The gift of praise

When the shepherds heard the news, they went to see Jesus for themselves. Afterwards, Scripture tells us they went on their way - praising God. Praise is a continual choice we must make again and again until it becomes a habit. A young hippie was sitting on a park bench, reading his Bible when he suddenly began shouting, “Praise God!  What a miracle!” A cynic walking by stopped to ask the man why he was so excited.  The hippie replied, “I was just reading how God parted the Red Sea and the whole nation of Israel walked on dry ground!” The older man snapped, “That’s ridiculous! Don’t you know the Red Sea wasn’t a real sea at all?  It was only a few inches deep.” He then turned and walked away. For a moment, the young man was confused and discouraged but it was only minutes until his shouts again filled the air. The unbeliever returned to ask, “What are you shouting about now?” “Well, I just read how God drowned the entire Egyptian army in only six inches of water!” Don’t let anyone keep you from praising God. Don’t let any circumstance deny you the joy of praise. Praise keeps us kneeling before the manger and is a gift fit for the King.
Psalm 150:6 (NASB) “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.”

·      The gift of sacrifice

The wise men came, bringing gifts that required sacrifice on their part because they knew true worship always involves sacrifice. They brought gold, a precious metal, myrrh, an expensive perfume like Mary later used to wash the feet of Jesus, as well as incense, a rare and expensive product used in worship.
1 Chronicles 21:14 (NCV) “I won’t offer a burnt offering that costs me nothing."
Sacrifice goes beyond what is required or expected. The best gift, the most expensive and extravagant gift should go to the one whose birthday we celebrate. This year, give a sacrificial gift in His name.
As the Christmas season approaches, I encourage you to examine your heart and life. What gift does Jesus want from you this year? Is it whole-hearted trust? Is the Father waiting on your willingness to obey before revealing the next step on your journey? Do you live in the gear of attitude and praise? Is He asking you to lay everything down as a sweet-smelling sacrifice unto Him? The best gift we can give Him this year is our heart, soul and mind.
Yesterday, I revised my Christmas list from last year and it occurred to me that the name of Jesus is not on that list. To have a joy-filled Christmas, Jesus Christ must be in the backdrop of every gathering…every preparation… every plan and every holiday celebration. May it be so in our lives this Christmas.

We must receive God’s gift to us.

Luke 2:8-12 (NIV) “There were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them; and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
God gave the greatest gift of all when He gave Jesus. The very heart of Christmas can be found in a very familiar verse, a verse not often associated with the Christmas holidays.
John 3:16″For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son” (NIV).
Christmas is not a date on the calendar. Christmas is a way of life. Like the innkeeper, we have posted a sign that reads, “No room!” No room in our schedules…no room in our homes…no room in our hearts and minds…no room in our lives for Jesus. We can participate in the festivities of the Christmas season but until we truly receive the gift of Jesus we will never truly experience Christmas. To have a joy-filled Christmas, we must not only recognize Him as the center of a season, but as the center of our lives. Jesus could have easily been born in a palace. His first home on earth could certainly have been a mansion. But He came to an ordinary manger and His birth was announced by commonplace shepherds instead of Kings – the greatest of all miracles in the midst of total simplicity. Today, He waits, longing to come to us in the midst of our ordinary, simplistic and commonplace lives.
Hebrews 2:17 (NLT) “Therefore, it was necessary for Jesus to be in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. He then could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people.”
My friend, wherever you are today, He has been there and He understands. I truly believe that into the very heart of Christmas, God has tucked a unique longing. It is a longing for home, for something and someone eternal, a longing that can never be satisfied outside of a personal, vital and growing relationship with God.  That is why Jesus came, choosing to dwell in us. To have a joy-filled Christmas, we must receive God’s gift to us…the gift of His one and only son, Jesus.

Christ-centered Christmas!

Much has changed since the God of the universe decorated the night sky with the star of Bethlehem and directed the choir of angels in a chorus announcing the birth of Our Savior, Jesus Christ. But the commercialism doesn’t have to rule in our hearts and homes. This year, let’s focus on the Christ Child and remember the true meaning of the holiday season. As we turn our eyes to the Babe in the manger, we will not view Christmas as a dreaded obligation or a major retail event. It will be a time of joyous celebration, honoring the One Who came to give us eternal life and worshipping our Heavenly Father.

Let’s focus on celebrating a Christ-centered Christmas!

THE NIGHT WATCHMAN

He was called the Chowkidar, the Pakistani term for the nightwatchman or gatekeeper. As I prepared to retire for sleep each night, the scraping sound of his charpoy or stringed bed being pulled close to our compound door filled me with both reassurance and gratitude. I did not need to fear what the darkness of the night might bring, because our gatekeeper kept vigil. While I slept peacefully, he remained awake, alert for any intruders, responsible for us and our property. This was his life’s task: to serve our little community of Sisters by faithful watching. We trusted him and believed he would do just this.

This sacred season of Advent begins with an urgent and repeated call to us to ‘stay awake’ for the master’s return. These words prod us from a life of complacency and routine. How often we fail to watch, fail to recognise and open to the divine visitor who is knocking on the door of our lives?
Every Advent brings a fresh call to ‘wake up’.
The poet Rumi writes: ‘God is at home, it is I who have gone out.’ We are the Chowkidars – the gatekeepers of our own hearts. For whom will we watch this Advent? To whom will we awaken and open the door of our lives? We never know when or how God will come.

A SOLDIER'S CHRISTMAS

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfp07-9YsKY&feature=player_detailpage

FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD....

The Christmas rush is on! I know many of you are still looking for the perfect gift, wrapping presents, baking your famous sugar cookies, packing the car for a long trip and wrestling with overly excited children. Ho! Ho!  Ho!
Stop right where you are! Take a deep breath and travel back with me to a time when there was no hope and no celebration. I can’t imagine a world without Jesus and yet, many times I live my life as if He doesn’t even exist. A trial comes and I try to handle it on my own. Loneliness floods my heart and instead of reaching out to Him, I withdraw into the darkness. 
He then interrupts my life and fills each black corner with Light. His love flows over the pain like a soothing balm and once again, I experience the manger. Once again, He steps into the smelly, unlikely and very ordinary existence that is mine to change everything – everything! He could have come to us in many ways but He chose to interrupt the very ordinary with the most extraordinary. He could have chosen to be born in a palace. After all, He was a King. Yet His life on earth began in a manger housed in what amounted to little more than a dirty, smelly barn. The simplicity of His birth is one of His most precious gifts to me and one of my most profound life lessons.
I often wish I had been there that holy night when Jesus was born but then He reminds me I have my own manger; my own holy moment when God became a reality to me, and I worship Him!
Every year I am reminded of the very heart of Christmas -- Emanuel, God with us. God wants to be involved in the simple, ordinary happenings of daily life:  where we go and what we do, the smile we give the harried stranger and the patience we wear in the crowd of impatient shoppers, the love that prompts the secret gift and the heart that constantly celebrates His birth through every sparkling light, every beautifully wrapped gift, each special meal, every card, phone call and visit. 
Join me in this quest to celebrate Him and His birth in everything we do. Have a birthday party for Jesus. Bake Him a huge cake and invite neighbors to join in the celebration. Adopt a family in need. Reach out to the lonely. Look for Him in the crowd. Emanuel, God with us! Wow! 

HOPE

 

What are you hoping for? Is it a house? A great job? Healing? Hope is the thing that gets you through tough times. It's like shifting your car into a higher gear when you're going up a mountain. But maybe you have put your hope in something and had it dashed to pieces, leaving you hopeless. The temptation is to give up on your dreams altogether. What do you do when you've lost hope?
"When the world says, 'Give up,' Hope whispers, 'Try it one more time'" (Author Unknown). If you sat in a broken chair and fell through, would you never sit in a chair again? No, but you would choose a sturdier chair next time. The Bible tells us what matters is where you put your hope. "How blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God" (Psalm 146:5). When you put your hope in Jesus, you are putting your hope in the fact that not only will He never abandon you, He will bring you into heaven. The hope in His Son Jesus tells you, When you go through hard times, I will be there for you. Even when you die, I will carry you to eternal life.
Get fresh hope today by putting your faith in Jesus Christ. Read below to do it right now.

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1 God Loves You!

The Bible says, "God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life"
The problem is that...

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2 All of us have done, said or thought things that are wrong. This is called sin, and our sins have separated us from God.

The Bible says "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." God is perfect and holy, and our sins separate us from God forever. The Bible says "The wages of sin is death."
The good news is that, about 2,000 years ago,

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3 God sent His only Son Jesus Christ to die for our sins.

Jesus is the Son of God. He lived a sinless life and then died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. "God demonstrates His own love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us."
Jesus rose from the dead and now He lives in heaven with God His Father. He offers us the gift of eternal life -- of living forever with Him in heaven if we accept Him as our Lord and Savior. Jesus said "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except by Me."
God reaches out in love to you and wants you to be His child. "As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe on His name." You can choose to ask Jesus Christ to forgive your sins and come in to your life as your Lord and Savior.

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4 If you want to accept Christ as your Savior and turn from your sins, you can ask Him to be your Savior and Lord by praying a prayer like this:

"Lord Jesus, I believe you are the Son of God. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. Please forgive my sins and give me the gift of eternal life. I ask you in to my life and heart to be my Lord and Savior. I want to serve you always."

GOD isn't longing for you to come to Him with perfect, polished prayers.

Have you considered that perhaps God isn’t longing for you to come to Him with perfect, polished prayers that have fifty-cent words and flowery language? Have you thought about the pleasure God experiences when you simply approach him just as you are, warts and all, because He loves you? He delights in your attention. He takes pleasure when you go to Him simply because you are His.

I love how the psalmist responded to God’s love:

Praise the Lord, O my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

Praise the Lord, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits—
who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
(Psalm 103:1-5)

WAGING PEACE

God’s desire is for us to wage peace in every relationship. What is even more amazing to me is the fact that God calls us to wage peace with even the roughest, most abrasive sandpaper people who come our way. Now that is a formidable task, since sandpaper people seem to come with a set agenda that targets emotional eruptions and creates constant relationship upheavals. They love a good fight, live to evoke angry reactions and are fierce warriors determined to win every battle initiated by their downright irritating personalities. However, combat is impossible when the enemy has laid down his weapons and chosen peace.
Unresolved conflict is the enemy of peace, and peace is often the casualty of unresolved conflict in relationships. I love this little poem about relationship problems:
     "To dwell above with saints we love, that will be grace and glory.
      To live below with saints we know; that's another story!" (Author unknown)

The world has its own system for working out conflict. That system is retaliation. God has a different plan for working out conflict. That plan is restoration. The apostle Paul was a master at conflict resolution and in 1 Thessalonians 5:13, he offers a simple but powerful command to “live in peace with each other." In Colossians 3:12-14, he paints a clear picture of what living in peace should look like in our lives:  
"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity." Sounds like an impossible task, doesn’t it? It is … unless we choose to rely on and surrender to the power of the Holy Spirit working in and through us. When Paul says that we are to "clothe" ourselves with certain characteristics so we will always be prepared for peace, he means we must plan ahead and make deliberate choices before the choice is actually necessary.
For example, the holidays are coming up. (I know. I can't believe it either.) Let’s say that your least favorite relatives are coming for a week and you are already dreading their visit. Make the decision right now to practice patience, love and self-control during their stay. Choose today to please God by how you treat them and welcome them into your home. Why?
Proverbs 16:7 (ESV) “When a man’s ways please the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.”
"He" is the operating word in the verse above. Did you catch that? Our obedience to God invites Him to promote peace in our relationships – even the most difficult ones. All we have to focus on is making sure our ways are pleasing to the Lord and He will do the rest. Now that is a great plan for peace!

Mary Kulick-Almas in the arms of the Angels November 2009

Can there be communication between the living and those who have died? I mean an awareness of a sensitive if not a dramatic kind, which has nothing to do with mediums and their messages. The Oxford writer C S Lewis expressed what went on in him, unbidden and unexpected, after the death of his beloved wife, Joy. This has awakened many of his readers to a sensitivity towards the unobtrusive but solid presence of a deceased beloved. ‘The sound of a chuckle in the darkness… so business-like… yet there was a cheerful intimacy… Solid. Utterly reliable. Firm. There is no nonsense about the dead…’
The author G W Hughes SJ was aware of the presence of his two sisters who had died tragically. They were, he remarks, like shy guests at a cocktail party who turned out to be the best of company once you gently engaged with them. ‘In imagination, I speak to Marie, and to the rest of my family, who are now all dead. Margot, like Marie, is close to me, a strengthening, reassuring presence…. Somehow their good and my good are identical.’ The Irish TV broadcaster John Quinn wrote to his wife, Olive, after her death. ‘I believe in your presence totally. That’s why I talk to you all the time. You are in the light. It’s me that needs the letters…. I am at once heartbroken by your absence and consumed by your ‘presence’ – more in love with you than I ever thought possible… I know you give me little signs now and then, and I know I must be patient’.
Such intimate and humble revelations are in line with what many of us may dimly experience. Those with exceptional awareness can encourage us to tune into this new frequency. Human solidarity and the doctrine of the Communion of Saints offer an understanding, in terms of relationships, of the widespread experience of connectedness with those we cared for and who cared for us. They still care.

A STUNNING VIDEO GLORIFYING GOD'S MAGNIFICENT CREATION

www.andiesisle.com/creation/magnificent.html

“O Lord, we thank Thee that it is not always like this.”

I will give thanks to your name for your unfailing love and faithfulness, because your promises are backed by all the honor of your name (Psalm 138:2, NLT)

Alexander Whyte, the Scottish preacher, always began every prayer with praise. One brutally cold Sunday, his people filed into the church, wondering what the preacher could possibly find to praise God for on such a miserable day. Alexander Whyte stood, bowed his head and prayed, “O Lord, we thank Thee that it is not always like this.”
Are there times when you don’t feel like praising God? Honestly, our feelings are irrelevant when it comes to praising God. Praise is not about us. Praise is all about God. Praise is a deliberate choice and a learned habit that produces contentment and an attitude of gratitude.
In Philippians 4:11, the Apostle Paul writes, “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.” In this verse, “learned” means to be “educated by experience” and the word “content” means “contained.” Paul’s contentment was the result of the resources contained in his heart. In other words, Paul used his circumstances as tutors in the school of praise. He learned how to give God praise even when he was beaten, ridiculed, in prison and facing his own death. Paul’s attitude did not reflect his circumstances. Paul made a deliberate choice to praise God – no matter what. Why? Because Paul knew that even when he did not understand God’s process, he could trust God’s heart.

WHAT WILL BE YOUR GIFT TO GOD ???

What do you get for the person who has everything? If you’ve ever tried to find a gift for someone who already has it all, you know how hard it can be. Now what about for God? He said, “For all the animals of the forest are mine, and I own the cattle on a thousand hills” (Psalm 50:10). All the cattle on a thousand hills—that’s hard to beat!




God is the same way. King David said to God, “You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one. You do not want a burnt offering. The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God” (Psalm 51:16,17). What He really wants is heartfelt love from you and care for others. Just like my handmade cards and pictures, here are gifts that God loves:

• Tell Him how much You Love and Appreciate Him: God said, “But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me” (Psalm 50:23). That’s what I was doing when I drew my dad little cards expressing my love.
• Spend Time with Him: “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33). God wants to spend time with you just like my dad loves to spend time with me!
• Do What He Asks: Jesus said, “If you love Me, obey My commandments” (John 14:15). Would you believe your friend loved you if you always did things that he hated?
• Care for Others: Jesus said, “The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me'” (Matthew 25:40). When you do something kind for someone else, it’s like you’re doing it for Jesus.
• Live in Peace with Others: “Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose” (Philippians 2:2). Just like my dad wants peace at home, God wants peace amongst His children. Show Him your love by being kind and forgiving towards others.

Sacred Space

Prayer is not selfish! Whenever I stop and try to pray, I enter into my own heart. But also in some mysterious way I touch the lives of all who yearn for goodness and truth, and who lift up their hearts in prayer as I do. Through my prayer and theirs, the wide expanse of the world is lifted up before God. Some people’s whole lives are spent in this way – for instance, the Carthusian contemplatives portrayed in the 2005 film, Into Great Silence. These ordinary people who have been called to silence and prayer are devoted day and night to the mystery of the living God, and continually raise up the world and its needs before Him.

We each have our part in that great panorama of prayer - for when we stop to pray in the midst of our practical concerns, we enter the Sacred Space domain and are joined to a multitude of praying hearts across the world. In the film the text from Jeremiah 20:7 appears from time to time: ‘You have seduced me, Lord, and I have let myself be seduced’.Such strong language has a particular meaning when applied to the extraordinary location of a Carthusian monk.  But the words can also be applied to myself. When I feel drawn into quiet and prayer, I am being ‘seduced’ by God! Coming before Him, as best I can, with all my poor heart, the whole world and its needs are present as well.

Your Life Plan - Jeremiah 29:11

1.Your life plan is customized. Psalm 139:16 You saw me before I was born and scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe. Every day was recorded in your book!
You were born in response to the determined plan of God, not as an afterthought. Before you took even one breath, every day, every step and every circumstance in your plan was recorded. God's plan uses your strengths as well as your weaknesses. We all have strengths - they are part of the plan. We all have limitations - they are also part of the plan. We all have seasons of life that are essential to the plan as well. True success comes when, instead of constantly fighting against or trying to change the plan, we learn to identify and build on our strengths, accept the limitations as hedges of protection from God, and yield to the seasons in life as God's avenue of perfect timing. God's plan for you is not a "one-size-fits all." It is customized and just your size.
2. Your life plan is good. Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord,” plans to prosper you and not to
For some reason we tend to think that God sat down one day and designed a sinister life plan laced with pain and defeat. Nothing could be farther from the truth. This train of thought contradicts the very nature of God and misunderstands His heart - the heart of a loving Father who wants the absolute highest and best plan for His child. It is a good plan!
3. Your life plan is guaranteed. 1 Thessalonians 5:24 The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.
God always empowers what He calls us to do. With the plan comes every resource that we will need to accomplish that plan. For many years, my life mission was really quite simple. I tried and often succeeded in filling every waking moment with activity. Oh, it was wonderful activity filled with good things - but they were not the best things or the highest things for my life. I did many of those things in order to feel worthy and important, hoping they would bring my life into balance and under control. I hoped that doing good things would provide a purpose and plan for the restlessness in my soul. While sitting at the bottom of a deep, dark pit named "Clinical Depression," I discovered a truth that has redefined who I am and altered my soul perception of God. I now realize that the most powerful life flows from a clear life plan not to it! 


How do we discover our life plan? 
At first glance, that question may seem complicated and almost impossible to answer, but when we spend time with the Plan Maker, that question is easily answered as we step out in obedience to God. When we begin to saturate daily life with His truth and continually turn our hearts to conversation with God, His plan naturally unfolds as we take every "next step" in obedience. Consider the following questions when praying about and asking God to reveal His plan for your life:

·         What are your spiritual gifts?
·         What are you passionate about?
·         What are your natural abilities?
·         What is your personality type?
·         What are the spiritual markers in your life?
·         What do others see in you?    

Certainly, I fail and have to begin again. And sometimes I am misunderstood because I have chosen to follow God's plan instead of someone else's. But I would rather be misunderstood than disobedient. I had to choose a new audience for this race of life and so must you. I had to make a decision about the One I wanted to please and so must you. Don’t waste another minute on anything but God’s very best plan for your life.
Let’s Pray
Father, I want to know and live out the plan You have for me. Sometimes my faith is weak but I really do want to please and honor You. Guide my steps, Lord. Give me Your strength to be obedient. Thank You for giving my life purpose and meaning. Today, I choose Your plan above all others and celebrate the joy I find in knowing You.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.

RESPECT

“For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourishes and cherishes it, even as the Lord the Church, Because we are memebers of his body” (Eph. 5:29-30).

Respect yourself; you have the right to be here and and you have important work to do.  By the grace of God you are what you are; glory in your selfhood, accept yourself and go from there.  Be gentle with yourself.  Although you can not always control what happens to you, you can always control how to respond to failure.  You know that as long as you keep faith in God and yourself nothing can permanently defeat you.  Keep your heart young and your expectations high and never allow your dreams to die.  Happiness doesn't come from doing what we like to do but from liking what we have to do.  It is found in little things: a baby's smile, a letter from a friend, the song of a bird, a light in the window.  Meet the challenge of each new day with the serene faith that: "All things work for good to them that love God."  Being today is recognizing that the only ceiling in life has is the one you give it and realize that you are surrounded by infinite possibilities for growth and achievement.  Success is having the courage to meet failure without being defeated.  It is refusing to let present loss interfere with your long-range goal.  Through the power of  your own creative imagination you catch a vision... you dream a dream and you see yourself as a triumphant personality striding toward far horizions of constructive accomplishments.  Put the stamp of your unique personality on the work you do.  By pouring your spirit into your task your work is a reflection of your faith, your integrity, your ideals.  Stand on the mountain and see the endless horizon. Dare the sky and reach for the stars.  Allow for your human frailties and foilbles and keep trying.  Believe ! Believe in life's enduring values-that you are big enough to master any problem.  You can do all things in him who strenthens you.

All Is Well With My Soul

Let’s Pray
Dear Lord, forgive me for the times when I try to navigate the broken path of life on my own. When my heart is heavy with burdens, please give me Your strength and remind my soul to trust You. I need Your guidance and power today.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.


Psalm 62 For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYFjikyp7mQ&feature=player_embedded

"All Is Well with My Soul"

I am a member of that great crowd which comes to hear the Word of God - I am part of the Sacred Space community. For a few moments I pray for the other members of this community, and ask that it may continue to grow all over the world.

Alignment and Assignment and God

With so much strife and violence going on in the world these days, do not forget that what God shall accomplish will prosper.
"For you shall go out in joy, and lead forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress; instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle; and it shall be to the Lord for a memorial, for everlasting sign which shall not be cut off." Isaiah 55:12-13


We are not here by accident. God has called us to the abundant life in Christ. If you pay attention to His calling on your life,  he will protect you against those that would attack you. When God incites you to follow His designated plan, don't be afraid to step out and do it. As you endure to do your part. He will be justified by your morality and faith. Even though you may experience difficulties, stay focused on the promises of God and His commitment to you. Do not allow struggles and hardships to disengage you from the obligation of following God's plan. 

• 
  Jesus is the only sign I need to chart my life well. I ask to be brought close to Jesus now, so that I may read this divine sign well.
• ‘Something greater’ hints at the profound mystery of Jesus. How privileged I am to be his companion!

Choose to be accountable.
Admonish one another with all wisdom (Colossian 3:16b, NIV).
“Admonish” literally means “to warn, to instruct or correct.” Paul is talking about obedience that is guarded by accountability. As John 14:23 (NCV) states, how much we love God is measured by how much we obey God. “Jesus answered, ‘If people love me, they will obey my teaching.’” Obedience is easier in an atmosphere of accountability.

ALL ARE WELCOME

I remind myself that I am in your presence O Lord.
I will take refuge in your loving heart.
You are my strength in times of weakness.
You are my comforter
There are very few people
who realise what God would make of them
if they abandoned themselves into his hands,
and let themselves be formed by his grace. (Saint Ignatius)
I ask for the grace to trust myself totally to God's love.

• The kingdom of heaven is often presented under the image of a great banquet. Could it be that I am slow to receive fully the goodness that God offers?
• Everything that veils and deadens love will be removed in God’s time. I pray that I may play my part in removing anything that prevents people becoming fully alive.

Is there life after death? Do you ever wonder what’s going to happen to you after you die? Jesus talked about Heaven and Hell often. Could be scary, if you aren't sure which one you are going to. You may wonder, "How can I know for sure?" Take a hint from what Jesus said to the criminal hanging next to Him on the cross. If anyone deserved Hell, he did. But he believed that Jesus was innocent and the true King of the world. He said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." And Jesus replied back, "I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise." Paradise for the man that deserved Hell -- all because he believed in Jesus.

How you view life after death determines how you live life before death. Think of the aromas you smell before a really great meal. That's how Heaven compares with right now. Psalm 39:5 says, "Each man's life is but a breath." But Jesus compared Heaven to a great feast. Many were invited, but only a few prioritized it, saying they were too busy with money, things, and relationships. If you understand that this life is relatively meaningless -- and that true happiness awaits you in Heaven with Jesus -- you will care more about what Jesus wants today than other temporary things. But know that there is hope for you if you believe in Jesus as the criminal did. Jesus promised, "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am" (John 14:3).

I AM THE TRUE VINE

Jesus spoke to His disciples and said, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father's glory, thatyou bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” John 15:1-8, NIV

The maintenance man doesn't pull the branch off to hurt the palm tree. He pruned it to increase its beauty, health and vibrancy. God does the same for us. He prunes His children to increase our beauty, health and vibrancy for our good and for His glory - to make us more useful to Him and more fruitful.

Are there any dead branches hanging on the tree of you?

"I am of the vine drawing life from the root,

Branching out and bearing fruit.

Sharing the water, absorbing the light,

Renewed and reborn to recieve

And pour out the good wine.

From the fruit of the branch of the wine." 1977

"Lord , crack me and crush me

Like the wheat and the vine,

That I may be made new

Like the the bread and the wine." 1979

THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD

Shepherding was one of the oldest callings in Israel, even before farming. Shepherds traveled from place to place, living in tents while driving their flocks from one pasture to another. The sheep and their shepherd lived together every minute of every day. In fact, they were so intimately bound together that individual sheep, even when mixed with other flocks, could recognize the voice of their own shepherd and would come immediately when called by name.
A shepherd owned and marked his sheep. In some cases, the sheep were even branded, although branding is no longer an accepted method of identification because of the damage it does to the wool. Today, the ears of sheep are pierced with identification tags, but for thousands of years, shepherds around the world marked their sheep by notching their ears with a sharp knife. Each shepherd had his own distinctive notch that indicated identity and ownership.
When we come to Jesus Christ in complete surrender and begin the journey of becoming a fully devoted follower of Christ, we are redeemed by His forgiveness, made whole by His grace and marked with His love through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. 
You were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13, NIV).

SALT MINE CATHEDRAL

www.kuriositas.com/2011/08/wieliczka-salt-mine-astounding.html 


An Astounding Subterranean Salt Cathedral

Have you been putting off doing something that God has called you to do because you feel like you’re not ready? If so, don’t put it off any longer. Jesus says, “Follow me.” He’ll take care of the rest.

Have you been putting off accepting Jesus as your personal Savior because you feel you’re not ready? If so, Jesus says, “Follow me.” What are you waiting for?

 Sometimes we are hesitant to do what You are calling us to do because we don’t feel that we are ready. But we know that we are  ready the moment You call us and that You will supply all our needs according to Your riches in glory. We are so thankful that we never have to get ready to be saved! You tell us to come as we are. “Just as I am without one plea, but that Thy blood was shed for me.” Hallelujah! “Oh Lamb of God, I come. I come.”

We will get much more out of the Lord’s Prayer if we take each petition separately and see each one as a theme about which we can pray. We can take each petition separately and spend time praying around each one. When we do that seriously and conscientiously we will see that it is a very challenging prayer.
Let us briefly look at the petitions as they are in Luke:


Father:
To begin with, let us not get into arguments about God’s gender. We can address God as either Father or Mother; the basic meaning is that God is the source of life, that God is the Creator of every living thing. In addressing God as Father (or Mother) we are acknowledging that we are children, sons and daughters, of God. But if we are children of the one God, then we are brothers and sisters to each other. And there can be no exceptions to this, not even one.
Is this what I mean when I utter the word “Father”? Am I prepared to see every single person on the face of this earth, irrespective of race, nationality, skin colour, class, occupation, age, religion, behaviour… as my brother and sister? If not, I have to stop praying at this first word. We can begin to see now what teaching his disciples to pray meant to Jesus as well as to them and us.


May your name be held holy:
God’s name is already holy and nothing we can do can make it any more so. In this petition we are rather asking that the whole world recognise the holiness of God, that the whole world sing with the angels, “Holy, holy, holy…” God does not need this but we do. And when we sing like this in all sincerity then we are saying that we belong to him and recognise him as Lord. And it is, in fact, another way of expressing the following petition…


Your kingdom come:
We refer frequently in these reflections to the Kingdom. It is that world where God’s reign prevails in people’s hearts and minds and relationships. A world where people have submitted gladly to that reign and experience the truth and love and beauty of God in their lives and in the way they react with the people around them. It produces a world of freedom, peace and justice for all.
In praying this petition, though, we are not just asking God to bring it about while we sit back and wait. We are also committing ourselves to be partners with God in bringing it about. Our co-operation in this work is of vital importance. To be a Christian, to be a disciple of Jesus is essentially to be involved in this task of making the Kingdom a reality. And it has to begin right now; it is not just to be left to a future existence. (In Matthew’s version we pray: ‘Your kingdom come on earth…’)Like many of these petitions, it is a prayer that God’s will be carried through our involvement. Again it is a really challenging prayer.


Give us each day our daily bread:
A prayer that we will be always provided with what we need for our daily living. There is a highly dangerous word buried in the petition. That word is “us”. To whom does “us” refer? My family? my friends? my work companions? my village, town, city, country, nationality, race?  Surely it refers to all God’s children without exception.
If that is the case, then we are praying that every single person be supplied with their daily needs. But that cannot happen unless we all get involved. The petition is not simply passing the buck to God. The feeding of our brothers and sisters is the responsibility of all. Yet millions are hungry, other millions suffer from malnutrition as well as being deprived of many of the other essentials of dignified living. Clearly, we are not doing all we could to see that all of “us” have “our” daily bread. So again this is a very dangerous prayer.
It is even more dangerous when we say it in the Eucharist. The Eucharist is the sacrament or sign of a community that takes care of all its members and of others in need. It is the sacrament of breaking bread with brothers and sisters. If we leave the Eucharistic table and do nothing about this then our sign has been a sham.


Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who is in debt to us:
How easily we say this again and again! Yet it is a very frightening thing to do: to put God’s forgiving us conditional on our forgiving others. Forgiveness and reconciliation must be part and parcel of Christian living and we all know that at times it can be very difficult. Yet, as we see in the book of Jonah (read during Cycle I at this time), our God is so ready to forgive.  To be like him, to be “perfect” is to have that same readiness to forgive. Our deepest urge should be not to condemn and punish but to rehabilitate and restore to life.


Do not put us to the test:
We are surrounded by forces which can draw us away from God and all that is true, good and beautiful. We pray that we will not succumb permanently to anything of the sort. We need constantly God’s liberating hand to lift us up as he lifted the drowning Peter. This is the one petition where we depend totally on God’s help.
The Lord’s Prayer is beautiful. It is challenging. It needs to be taken slowly and meditatively so that we have time to enter deeply into each petition. Perhaps as we pray we can stop at just one petition which at this time is particularly meaningful to us and leave the others for another time. It is primarily not a formula to be recited but themes for prayer. Any one petition is enough to last a long time.

 

HERE IN LIES MY KINGDOM,  IN THE CLEAR , TRUE EYES OF A CHILD. LOVE HIM AS THEY CAN AND YOU WILL HAVE PEACE AND COMFORT ALWAYS.

Towards the end of his Letter to the Philippians, St Paul has words on which we can often ponder. He had written earlier in the letter about his own following of Christ, which is everything for him and which he proposes for each one of us (Phil 3:7-16). But then he adds: ‘Finally, brothers and sisters fill your minds with everything that is true, everything that is honourable, everything that is upright and pure, everything that we love and admire’ (4:8). These are indeed significant additions. Paul is saying that, as we are captivated by Christ and transformed in him, then also every good thing displayed in this world should fill our hearts and minds.
He means especially whatever is True, and Good, and Beautiful. The manifestations of these are worthy of our admiration and interest. They are in fact supremely given us in Christ, so we are invited to have a care for them. Sometimes in life, indeed, we feel overwhelmed by their opposites – when so much that is unjust, and untrue, and ugly, seems to predominate in the world around us.  But all the more then are we called to discern and uphold what is true, and good, and upright. ‘Lord, help me always to revere and uphold all that is true, and good, and supremely beautiful in this world’.

HOW GREAT THOU ART

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLLMzr3PFgk&feature=player_embedded


Vince Gill and Carrie Underwood performing "How Great Thou Art"

Every minute of every day is either wasted or invested. Since the Bible contains over 400 verses about time, we can safely assume that time management is important to God. In fact, it is a spiritual discipline that helps determine the rate of growth and maturity of our faith. We not only need to view time as an eternal investment, but as an immediate one as well. One of the most valuable investments we can make is to spend time in solitude.    
I once read an African proverb, “Lord Jesus, make my heart sit down.” Solitude is deliberately and diligently setting aside time to “sit down” at the feet of Jesus. It is in those still, quiet moments of solitude at His feet that we can more clearly hear God speak and gain strength and wisdom for the journey ahead. In order to practice solitude, we must learn how to budget time.    
It’s been said that women must balance their time more carefully than men because women don’t have wives. The fact is that we are all responsible for how we spend the time God has given us. Time is a precious gift. Every morning we are credited with 86,400 seconds. No balance is carried into the next day and every night erases what we fail to use. If we use it in the wrong way, that time is lost forever and cannot be reclaimed. Time that is not purposely and wisely budgeted will inevitably gravitate to our weaknesses and be stolen by others or wasted on the unimportant. We must budget time, just as Jesus did. 
Luke 2:52“Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men” (NIV).

At any time of the day or night we can call on Jesus.
He is always waiting, listening for our call.
What a wonderful blessing.
No phone needed, no e-mails, just a whisper.

Thank You, Lord, for arranging the circumstances of my life so that I must stop and rest and sit at Your feet in quiet solitude. Thank You for the healing I find there. Thank You for the new truth and redefined purpose for my life. Help me apply the truths I find under the Juniper tree ( like Elijiah) and then give me the strength and determination to share Your plan of deliverance with those who need your restoration.

Psalm 62

  I don’t understand the cruelty I read in the papers and hear on the news.  I am confused at the angry attitudes of drivers with road rage. I don’t understand how an adult could harm a child. In confusion, I look to my heavenly Father and say, “What do I do?”

But then God reminds me that I will never feel at home here on earth, because I am an alien, a foreigner.  My true citizenship is in heaven and I’m just a foreign exchange student here for a short while.  I am not home yet.

The Bible tells us that we are citizens of heaven.  Our lives may be grand here on earth, but there will always be a longing that goes unmet while our feet are on this ground.  That is because we were made for heaven!  There will come a day when we will be completely at home, at rest, and at peace.  Until then, just remember, we are aliens and strangers in this world where we temporarily live.