Focus on Christ Jesus

It's another Monday morning. Is your week filled with a lot to do? My week is fairly quiet. That is the way I like it. I'm looking forward to a warm up. We were very cold yesterday: 10 degrees when we went to church. The sun was so bright and reflected off the nine inches of snow we received on Thursday night through Friday. God is good.

My big Bible sits on my desk, open, ready to be read during devotions, Bible study, prayer time, any time. God's Word is always available to lift me up and inspire me. I was drawn to the following verses that were underlined with a note I had written: "Focus on Christ!" 

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus," (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV).

These instructions are easier to follow on good days and harder to follow on difficult days. Dah! But if we make these instructions part of our lives, day in and day out, we will begin to obey these commands more easily. I have practiced saying short, frequent prayers as I drive ("Lord, keep me alert and aware of my surroundings"), as I meet with a friend, as I go to sleep and when I wake up;

I am thankful, always, for God's presence with me as the Holy Spirit Who guides me through all of my days. I struggle with being joyful always. As a person with chronic depression, joy seems elusive.

God, be with us today and help us find joy in all things. Remind us to speak to You throughout our day through prayer. And guide us into a thankful attitude no matter what circumstances we face today. We ask a lot here, God, but we want to do Your will for our lives. You can help us focus on our Savior Jesus Christ. We pray in His holy name, Amen.

A Recipe for Growth

One of my weaknesses of late has been gathering recipes. Once I clicked on a Facebook page for a   "healthy" recipe and now I get dozens of recipe ideas every day. I have yet to find a great recipe that is both healthy and tastes good.

Actually, I've been addicted to recipes all my married life. I have a whole row of cookbooks in my bookcase. There I have found some wonderful recipes by great cooks. I have tagged pages with favorites that I go back to again and again.

Peter wrote a specific recipe for growing Christians. The ingredients are important individually. But, they all work together to make us resemble Jesus Christ more closely. God empowers us, but the recipe is not complete until we work at these characteristics daily and show growth.

"For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control, and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ," (2 Peter 1:5-8 NIV).

Wow. What a list of qualities to work on! 

Faith
Goodness
Knowledge
Self-Control
Perseverance
Godliness
Brotherly Kindness
Love

And, as we read in the Scriptures elsewhere, the greatest of these is love. But it takes them all to be a growing Christian. They aren't automatically ours when we are born again. We have the Holy Spirit in us that helps us, but the work is ours to do.

Heavenly Father: when we see this list of our responsibilities, we are overwhelmed and convicted of our weaknesses. Please hear our confessions of failures, and help us rebuild our character to be the follower of Jesus Christ that You desire us to be. Thank You for sending Your Son to save us from our sins. Praying in the name of Jesus, Amen.

God Cares for You

What is happening outside? It was above 64 degrees yesterday. We walked a couple of miles in the glorious sunshine. It felt so good. My sweatshirt was too warm by the time we got home. It seems like our trees and plants must be confused. It wasn't just one day of warmth...here in Iowa. We are experiencing a string of warmth that extends more than a week long.

I'm not complaining. I love the warmth but this is February! I am confused and concerned about the changes happening in our earth. I won't step up on a soapbox here, but I really care what kind of air, water, and soil we are leaving for our grandchildren and their children to live with.

We must trust God with our concerns. To do that means we must humble ourselves, giving up the control, and realizing that we need God in every situation. We aren't to sit back and wait; we need to take action that is within our ability and God will lift us up in due time.

"All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. (Proverbs 3:34)." Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you," (1 Peter 5:5b-7 NIV).

Lord, I need Your grace. I repent of my sins and humbly obey You. Show me what I need to do, Lord, and help me be the best me I can be. I trust You, God. Heal me, and heal our country, our land, sea, and air. Praying in the holy name of Jesus, Amen.

#1175 gds

Love

What is a four-letter word that we are encouraged to say? 

"If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing," (1 Corinthians 13:3 NIV).

Love: "Deep affection and warm feelings for another." (The American Heritage Dictionary, Fourth Edition 2001).

I just realized, as I read the definition in my 'old' dictionary, that the meaning of love in a current publication might be completely different. I don't think I want to search for a 2026 version of love. The example shown throughout the Bible is the one I want to use.

In reading the Scripture again, the meaning and purpose of love seems to indicate that to love is beneficial to the givers. Love is living our lives for someone else's good. Love is a decision followed by an action. Love makes us more like Jesus. That's the real goal in a Christian's life.

"If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love,"  (1 Corinthians 13:3 The Message in Contemporary Language). 

Paul, the author of the letter to the Corinthians, concludes his love chapter with the following:

"Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love," (1 Corinthians 13:13 The Message in Contemporary Language).

O, God,  we know that love is the greatest of all human qualities. Love is what shows we care. Love is what You have shown to us over and over. Help us love others like ourselves. Let us live today, filled with love for others. Show us when to love, how to love, and make us live with love. God, we thank You for Your love in sending Your Son, Jesus, to give His life for us. Fill our hearts with love today and every day. We pray in Jesus' Name, Amen.

Put On Love

It's the month of red hearts, candy conversation hearts, shoeboxes covered in hearts, paper valentines, chocolate-covered strawberries, red roses, and romantic dinners by candle light. Valentine's Day is just around the corner. 

I did not remember that Valentine's Day was originally a Christian feast day named for a martyr, Saint Valentine of Rome. One legend says Valentine was imprisoned for protecting persecuted Christians and was buried on February 14, on the Via Flaminia, an ancient Roman road through the mountains. Accounts say there is not much known about Saint Valentine.

Through the years, Valentine's Day became associated with romantic love and "lovebirds" of early spring. In 1868 Cadbury created heart-shaped boxes for their chocolates, beginning a favorite Valentine gift of candy, Just walk through a store that sells candy and find hundreds of varieties of heart candies.

"And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity,"  (Colossians 3:14 NIV). 

It is always a good idea to "put on love" as we strive to live out our faith. As Colossians 3:12 tells us to "clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." Colossians 3:14 continues: "over all these virtues put on love."

The virtues listed can make showing love so easy if we just work at living them out.

Oh Gracious God, thank You for giving us Your Word to guide us in our faith. Keep these virtues at the top of our minds this week. Help us choose these actions in all that we do. We want to live like Your Son. Thank You for sending Him to teach us and to save us from our sins. We pray in Jesus' Name, Amen.

Fix Our Eyes on Jesus

"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God," (Hebrews 12:2 NIV). 

Sometimes when I am walking I set my eyes on where my next step is to be placed. There are some sidewalks that have uneven edges, broken pieces of concrete, or tree roots that have forced the cement to break or buckle. They can be dangerous if I set my eyes on where I am going instead of where my foot will be placed. 

That is what makes a walking track nice. Each step is the same. The surface is even and smooth. The only hazards are other walkers who may stop suddenly on the track or back into you, or when you stub your toe. (I am a danger to myself anywhere I walk).

The Scripture above tells us to fix our eyes on Jesus in our big picture of life. We need Jesus to make our faith stronger and more perfect, like Him. Jesus endured the painful torture and hanging upon the cross for us! He must always be in sight or we will focus on ourselves and stumble and fall.

"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal," (2 Corinthians 4:18 NIV).

Lord God, Help me keep our eyes fixed on You. The path of my life is bumpy and long. It winds around and through dangers that only You can help me through. I need my focus to be on You. Fix my eyes on Jesus, in whose name I pray, Amen.

Run With Perseverance

Welcome to a new month, a new week, and a new day. February. One month closer to spring! Will it be warmer than January? Will we get more snow? What will our path look like? Will we have a smooth, rock-free, hill-free road to travel this month or will we face challenges with every step? Only God knows what lies ahead.

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." (Hebrews 12:1 NIV).

The author of Hebrews recognized that he was surrounded by faithful believers who had experience and wisdom and encouraged him to keep running the race, whatever it looked like. We do not walk alone. Others have walked through our troubles and survived. We can make it, too.

The key is perseverance. I never noticed what a long word perseverance is. Just saying the word takes a while. That gives a hint to the challenge that might be ahead. Our walk in life as a Christian is not easy. We have temptations and sin that gets in our way. We must confess those hinderances and keep going. 

We must get rid of anything that gets in the way of our relationship with God. Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit to help us run toward the freedom we receive through confession of our sins. We need to start again, if we pause. Keep Jesus in our sights. He leads the way.

Lord God, I'm not a good runner, never have been, never will be. But I can persevere on the path You place before me. Guide me, Lord. Show me the way. Point out the hazards in my path. Don't let me give up. I need the encouragement that You and fellow believers provide. Thank You, God. Make my life give You praise in all I do. Let every step I take bring You honor and glory. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

What I Need to Do

"So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness," (Colossians 2:6-7 NIV).

I am totally blown away by the beautiful verses that can be found in the Bible. Those above just spoke to me when I ran across them again. My study Bible has been my go-to since 1991, I think. I have read through it several times so it has many stars, underlines, notes in the margins and a number of bookmarks with an assortment of treasured writings of friends and authors. There are a couple very special letters inside. And a few study guides clutter inside the front and back covers. It has become too heavy for me to carry to church or to my Bible studies. I use it at home where it lays open on my desk.

"Continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him..."

Live in Christ Jesus. That's what I need to do.  To be rooted and built up in Him! Like a tree stretches its roots out seeking nourishment and the water it needs to grow, that's what I need to do. With my branches, my arms, stretching out toward the sun, the Son, praising the Father.

"Strengthened in the faith as I was taught..." 

Returning to the basics of my belief, grasping the foundation that was built in Sunday school, youth group, church camp, sermon after sermon, and Bible study after Bible study. That's what I need to do.

"Overflowing with thankfulness..." 

Thank you, Father God, for giving me the Word to guide my life in Christ Jesus. I need You every moment of every day. Fill me with everything I need to stay rooted and grounded in You. You are my source. I praise You and thank You with my whole heart, and I pray in the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

A Monday Morning Challenge

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience," (Colossians 3:12 NIV).

That is a lot. A verse so full of direction and challenge is a big way to start the morning. But, the reminder Paul gives us here, in his letter to the church in Colosse and all believers, is so precious for our hearts to hold close. 

First we are called God's chosen people. What an honor and what big shoes to fill! Yet, Paul reminds us that we are holy and dearly loved. I picture God's mighty hands lifting us up and embracing us with His wonderful love.

Then comes the directive on how we are to act, as God's chosen people. Clothe yourselves with compassion and kindness. Oh, if only my heart was always filled with these characteristics. What a beautiful world we would live in if we all held compassion and kindness as our usual pattern of action.

Then Paul tells us to clothe ourselves in humility. Being humble used to be easy when I had no self-confidence. Can I consider myself worthy of God's love and be humble at the same time? It seems to be a serious balancing act for me. 

Finally, this verse tells us to be gentle and patient. Gentleness fits well with acts of kindness and a heart full of compassion. But, patience is a quality that seems to take more work than the others. Our society seems to have the attitude of wanting things to happen right now. That doesn't fit well with having patience. I need to slow things down and wait for God's timing to be my guide; easier said than done.

Wow. I want to be this person that Paul describes. I want to wear compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Do you struggle with any of these or am I the only one?

O God, so Great and Caring, help me be the person you want me to be, today and each day forward. I need your help. I miss the mark by so much! Help me change my attitude to be as Paul tells me. Give me encouragement to be a person of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Show me the way, Lord. I pray in Jesus' name, Amen.

The Blessing

In the book of Numbers God told Moses how to ask Him to place His divine favor upon others. Giving a blessing included five parts, as shown in the scripture below. A blessing included: favor and protection (bless and keep), be pleased (make his face shine upon you), merciful and compassionate (be gracious), give His approval (turn his face toward him), and give peace. God taught Moses how to ask for a blessing upon others. 

"The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace." (Numbers 6:24-26 NIV).

Giving a blessing upon others helps the one receiving it but also demonstrates love, encouragement, and is a model of caring for others. Moses taught Aaron and his sons the blessing they were to ask for the Israelites as their priests.

Lord God, I ask a blessing upon all who read this blog. May they be encouraged, loved and cared for this day and beyond. Give us all a heart of a blessing. Make us kind in all situations and help us love others as You have commanded. Bless us with Your wisdom through Jesus Christ. We pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

 

Handling Hard Better

Today the words won’t come. I’ve been searching the Bible for the right verse but half an hour later I’m still looking. The one I chose seems to be a reminder to me that God is way bigger than I can imagine. He handles the hard better than we think is possible. Even in grief we have hope in Jesus that one day He will return with believers who wait in heaven to rejoin us.

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever. Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20-21 NIV). 

A friend whom we admire for his strength in his illness earned his angel wings yesterday. Our hearts are broken for his wife and two sons who face all the tomorrows without him. We must cling to Jesus more than ever before because He is with us through all the hard days ahead.

Lord God, hold this family close to You. Don’t let them slip away. May they feel Your strength and power flow through them as they move through the hard days ahead. Thank You for standing with us through the tough times and lifting us up above the pain. We need You, Lord, and we pray for those who can’t find the words today. Embrace them and comfort them. We pray in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Who Gets a Miracle?

"Nothing is impossible with God," (Luke 1:37 NIV). 

That certainly changes things. Anything that God is telling you to do is possible with God! This scripture was given to Mary when she asked the angel how she could be with child when she was a virgin. The angel also gives the example of Elizabeth being pregnant in her old age. "Nothing is impossible with God."

That doesn't mean everything we pray for will happen. We must use discernment and align ourselves with God's will for our lives. That's where it gets hard. Some of our prayers aren't answered the way we want. Some people get miracles. Why not all? 

I think I've ventured into a question for Biblical scholars or pastors to answer. I'm sure I've heard a sermon on this before. But here I am, still seeking God's answer for my prayers. This doesn't look like we will get a Lazarus story ending to our prayers.

I can't help but wonder why no miracle this time. I have lots of reasons why there should be a miracle.

Lord, I need Your help in understanding this prayer's answer. I do know that You must have a plan. Maybe we will see it down the road a few years. I trust You to lead this family through the pain. You have taught the family so many things that may change the direction of their futures. But, I will keep asking for a miracle because You make anything possible. Amen.

Seeking God''s Plan

Just before I turned 40 I started taking college courses for credit. I was still working at a newspaper as a reporter but I made a decision to attend college full-time and give up my 'dream job' as a writer. A new semester began in January so the timing seemed perfect. It was all in God's plan. 

"Divine guidance comes only to prepared hearts."(says my Life Application Bible in a footnote for Matthew 2:13). I'd like to think that I received divine guidance as I made this big change in my life. Much prayer and contemplation went into it. Perhaps like Joseph, my heart was "receptive to God's guidance".

"An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. 'Get up,' he said, 'take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.'  So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I called my son."" (Matthew 2:13-15 NIV).

Following God's guidance in life may not be as obvious as it was for Joseph - in a dream. But when we center out hearts on Jesus through Bible study, reading God's Word regularly, seeking His direction through prayer, and listening for God's voice, I believe God still speaks to us with His guidance. 

O God, Mighty and Holy, hear our prayers this day and speak to us with Your Perfect Wisdom. Help us make good decisions in our lives and remember to always include You in our plans in 2026. Thank You for being the same today as You were when Jesus was just a baby. Open our hearts and minds to be receptive to Your plans. We pray in Jesus' Name, Amen.

Taking a New Path

It is the first Monday of a new year. It's back to a normal routine. Exercise for me after a few days off. It will feel good. Back to work or back to school for others. No snow in Iowa. In fact, temperatures rising to 50 by the end of the week, they say. So what is different about 2026? It is a new path, if we choose to take it. Things can be different this year. 

The wise men were told in a dream to take a new path home, rather than reporting to Herod.

"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).

The wise men were warned by God not to return through Jerusalem. My study Bible suggests, "Finding Jesus may mean that your life must take a different direction, one that is responsive and obedient to God's Word," (footnotes to Matthew 2:12 NIV Life Application Bible).

Is God leading you in a different direction in 2026? Talk to God about it. Then listen to what He has to say. That is a great way to start a new year or a new path. 

"You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand," (Psalm 16:11 NIV).

God, thank you for the season of celebrating Christ's birth. As we move forward in 2026, direct us. Lead us. Help us make the changes You desire us to make. Help us be responsive and obedient to Your Word. Be ever at our side as we take a new path in this new year. We pray in Jesus' name, Amen.

Welcome to 2026

A NewYear is upon us. 1-1-26. January 1, 2026. Any way we write it we have a clean slate ahead of us ready to be filled with good things. Will the year go as quickly as 2025 did? What is ahead? Only God knows what is for us in 2026. God knows the path we will walk in 2026. There will be joys and sorrows, wellness and sickness, successes and challenges. Only God knows.

My usual activity for January 1 is to fill out my paper calendar with birthdays, anniversaries, appointments, days I want to remember. I enjoy this little task of looking ahead. I don't usually make a New Years resolution, though there are many things I need to work on to make me a better Christian wife, mother, sister, and friend. I pray that God helps me make some real changes that I haven't been successful at in the past year. Change is hard.

My prayer for 2026 is that God will be first in my life, every day. That His Word will live in my heart and be reflected in all that I say and do. If only that would be my resolution to keep in 2026.

Back to the story in Bethlehem:

"When he (Herod) had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. "In Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, " they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written: 

"'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.'" 

Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him," (Matthew 2:4-8 NIV).

This scripture ends with Herod's lie. He didn't want to worship Jesus. He planned to kill him. The prophecy given was from Micah 5:2, written seven centuries before. The Word came alive when Jesus was born.

Heavenly Father, we thank You for sending Your Son as a baby born in Bethlehem. Hope came alive in the birth of Your Son. We still hope for the return of Your Son on that Great Day when You return to judge all people. We confess our sins before You and trust in You for redemption. We long for the day when we will see you face-to-face. We pray in the great Name of Jesus, Amen.