Better Than "AI"

Having a new computer is mostly wonderful. It is so fast that I never have to wait. It is probably waiting on me instead. I should probably take the time to watch a few tutorials on using my new iMac. It is almost like it is reading my mind. It has a message for me that says "Ready for Apple Intelligence - Time to experience the new personal intelligence system". I have not clicked it yet. I am not ready.

My car really does read my mind. It shows me where I am going without me asking. It remembers where I go at 7:30 a.m. on weekdays (Legacy Fitness). It shows any appointments I have on my phone's calendar. Wow. I am amazed and a little afraid.

One thing I can count on always being the same, never-changing: God. He is better than "AI," knowing everything about me, what I am thinking before I speak. He knows me even better than I know myself, my God can do all things and the Holy Spirit helps me do all things.

"Your years go on through all generations. In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing you will  change them and they will be discarded. But you remain the same, and your years will never end."" (Psalm 102:24b-27 NIV).

Thank You, Lord God, for being the one constant in my life. I need You every moment. I depend on You to always be there when I need You, and that is always. Guide me, better than any "AI" can, for You know me inside and out. Help me follow the pathway You created through Your Son, Jesus Christ. I want to be just like Him. I pray in the Holy, powerful Name of Your blessed Son, Jesus. Amen.

Look Up

Did you see the moon last night? It was so bright and round and high in the sky. Tonight will be a full moon so maybe you can catch its beauty, too. 

"Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing," (Isaiah 40:26 NIV)

I love the book of Isaiah. Although in the first half of the book, Isaiah spends his time scolding the people of Judah and Israel for separating themselves from God. As with most prophets, the people they spoke to became angry or convicted by their words. 

But the second half of the book of Isaiah is filled with hope and promise that will come with the Messiah. Isaiah's words bring comfort to those who repent of their sins. Our hope is in Christ the Messiah who came and is coming again. 

Our Father in Heaven, blessed is Your Holy Name. As we begin a new day, please be with us and remind us of Your presence as we take each step. Show us the way we should walk and the actions we can take to offer Your hope to others we meet. Let us be a light in the darkness today as we encounter others in our lives. We give You praise for sending Your Son to save us. We pray in Jesus' name, Amen.

Make a Difference

Today is President Jimmy Carter's funeral. Though many say his presidency was lackluster and noted for a poor economy and the Iran hostage crisis, Jimmy Carter has to be remembered for his tireless volunteering and humanitarianism during his post-presidency years. He also lived the longest of any U.S. president, reaching the age of 100. He used his long life to serve others, following his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ's example of living faith. What a wonderful representative for us all.

"I have one life and one chance to make it count for something...My faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can with whatever I have to try to make a difference."                                                                                                                                   39th U.S. President Jimmy Carter.

President Jimmy Carter lived a life of integrity, honesty, and faith. What an example to us all and to the leadership of the United States that follows him.

"But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it--he will be blessed in what he does," (James 1:25 NIV).

Dear Lord, we offer ourselves to You this day. Use us to bring the Word to others in any way You can. May the Holy Spirit in us give us the power to reach the world around us with Your truth, one soul at a time. Lord, we love You and we worship You and we thank You for sending Your Son Jesus to save us. Make our lives count for something to Your glory. We pray in the Holy Name of Jesus. Amen.

Epiphany

Epiphany: the manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles as represented by the Magi; the baptism of Christ, signifying to humanity the manifestation of the Son of God. Epiphany comes from the Greek word meaning appearance or manifestation.

I had to look up the meaning of Epiphany so I could be sure I knew what I was talking about. Today is Epiphany - January 6. It is a wonderful day for celebrating that Jesus came to earth as a human to teach us about God's love and to save us from our sins. 

Jesus came to this earth as a baby and at some point in His life He became our Savior, our Shepherd, our King. That's Epiphany.

"At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased." (Mark 1:9-11 NIV).

Dear Lord and Father of all mankind: be with us this day of rejoicing the manifestation of Christ, the Son of God. Our hearts are filled with thanksgiving as we worship You with praise and glorify Your Holy Name.  Thank You for sending Your Son to teach us how to live with love for others. Help us follow You more closely in all that we do. We want to walk with You each step that we take. We praise You for Your Son and we pray in Jesus' Name, Amen.

What's Your Way in 2025?

2025. The year is just beginning. A blank page in a journal of life. We've turned the page and only opportunity lies before us. How will we use the days ahead? Some people choose a word for their year. Do you have a word for 2025? I haven't chosen one but I like the concept of setting a goal and working toward it everyday. 

Lots of people start an exercise program in the new year (might I suggest Legacy Fitness) or start a weight loss program (might I recommend WW (Weight Watchers)). Both are great places to set a goal and to keep it going. However, many people drop out after a few months. To reach a goal we have to stick with it.

Another great goal is to read Scripture everyday in order to read the Bible through in a year. There are a number of programs that have what to read all figured out that we can follow. There are even special Bibles for reading it through in a year.

Do we have a dream in our head that has been dormant for a long time, just waiting to be realized? We can start working toward it one day at a time. Making our goal to bring glory to God gives it a purpose. 

I love these quotes by Mark Batterson in "Win The Day". "Show me the size of your dream and I'll show you the size of your God." He also said, "If we do the right thing day in and day out, God is going to show up and show off."

But aren't I too old to have a dream? For more than 20 years, my dream was to get a college education. I finally achieved that goal when I was 43. It is never too late to start working toward a dream. If we walk with God, He will guide us around the stumbling blocks. 

"For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones," (Proverbs 2:6-8 NIV).

Thank You, God, for being our refuge and strength, for leading us along the pathway of life. Sometimes we may feel discouraged but if we take Your hand, You will guide us. You will help us climb the steep hills of our life and show us rewards at the end. Thank You for sending Your Son to save us from our sins. We place our trust and hope in Him. Show us the way, Lord; show us the way. We pray in the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Treasures Given

Joy to the World pillow quilted by my
daughter-in-law Laura Stewart, a treasure to cherish.

Last summer my daughter-in-law Laura and some of the granddaughters walked through the Iowa State Fair. One of our usual stops was the Fabric and Threads: Quilting exhibit. We always find a few projects that overwhelm us.

The pillow shown is Laura's duplication of a quilted scene we saw on display. Her version includes stars that light and shine. The detail is incredible. The white strips of border include the words to the Christmas carol, "Joy to the World." The quilting in the background features stars in a variety of shapes, and on the blue borders are landscapes of the city of Bethlehem. I am so humbled by this laborious gift from Laura, Brady and his family.

"After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. And having been warned in a dream, not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route," (Matthew 2:9-12 NIV). 

Heavenly Father above, We come to You in worship and praise this morning as we remember the carol, Joy to the World. Our hearts are filled with joy in the arrival of King Jesus on earth. Thank You for sending Your Son to us so we can follow Him all of our days.  We will always treasure the gift of Your Son, and we pray in His Holy Name, Amen.

One More Christmas Carol

For as long as I can remember the closing song of our Christmas Eve services (at several different churches) was "Silent Night! Holy Night!" I think it must be the most beloved Christmas carol ever sung. And it all came about because of a broken organ.

Joseph Mohr, a priest in the high Alps Church of St. Nicholas, and the church organist, Franz Gruber, were desperate for music for their Christmas Eve mass. Father Mohr wrote the words and Gruber said, "Friend Mohr, you have fount it--the right song--God be praised!" He immediately began composing the music to go with the words of "Silent Night! Holy Night!" On Christmas Eve in 1818, the two friends sang the new carol for their parishioners with Gruber playing his guitar. 

"Silent Night! Holy Night! All is calm, all is bright 'Round yon virgin mother and Child, Holy Infant so tender and mild, Sleep in heavenly peace, Sleep in heavenly peace. Silent Night! Holy Night! Shepherds quake at the sight, Glories stream from heaven a far, Heav'nly hosts sing Alleluia; Christ the Savior is born, Christ the Savior is born. Silent Night! Holy Night! Son of God, love's pure light, Radiant beams from Thy holy face, With the dawn of redeeming grace, Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth, Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth. Amen". (Joseph Mohr, 1818, Franz Gruber, 1818).

"So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told," (Luke 2:16-20 NIV).

Oh, Mighty God, Giver of Thy Holy Son, our hearts are full of the glory of the gift of Your Holy Son. We rejoice that You gave us Your beloved Son, to save us from our sins. Lord, keep our hearts filled with the joy and the blessing of King Emmanuel, Jesus Lord at Thy birth. Help us to share this message with others whom we encounter. We praise You and worship You. Amen.