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The Gift of His Son	The New Year	Righteous Anger
God's Refreshment	Devotion	God's Holiness
Some Things Never Change	Why Me? ( part 1)	Why Me? ( part 2)

The gift of His Son Christmas cards are very special to my wife. They are little treasures that she places into a basket. Several evenings throughout the holiday season she will sit down and sip a cup of coffee as she reads and re-reads each of them.
I, on the other hand, tend to focus just upon the pictures on the cover and remorse over the fact that I am somehow missing out on the serenity, peace and calm joy that the illustrations portray.
As Christmas Day approaches, do you find yourself feeling guilty that you are more stressed than serene and more anxious than calm? Are you experiencing more panic than peace?
Well, throw off that guilt and welcome to the real “Silent Night”.
Those quiet, deserted starlit Bethlehem streets portrayed on the cards were actually overcrowded and busting at the seams with people returning to the city of their fathers, for the census. These throngs of visitors brought their needs with them. They needed shelter, food and water and it was just as true two thousand years ago as it is today; where there is need, there is greed. You can most certainly bet that price gouging and petty crime were not uncommon. Remember, this was not a pleasant visit made by choice; it was a requirement of the Roman government for the purpose of further taxing the citizenry. Tempers, no doubt, flared and frustration was high as the small town struggled with the burden of overcrowding. The street scene more closely resembled the mall on the last shopping day before Christmas than it did the illustrations on our cards!
What about Mary and Joseph’s romantic, moonlit, donkey ride into Bethlehem?
I have never been pregnant, but my wife has and it has been my experience that a fifty-mile trip on a padded leather seat, in a climate-controlled cabin of automobile with state of the art suspension, was a long hard trip when she was “heavy-laden”. Mary’s donkey ride was painful and long…for both of them.
Upon arrival in the “city of their fathers”, they were either turned away by family or did not want to deal with the indignant glances and whispered accusations that most certainly surrounded the curiously early pregnancy of this young couple. Whichever the case, they chose the shelter of an inn. No vacancies of course, which brings us to the cozy, warm incredibly charming stable.
Most likely a small, cold, damp cave in the side of a rock wall with a floor of dirt, straw and …well you can guess the rest. It is here that Mary gave birth to the Christ child.
I have never birthed a child, but I was present when my wife did. Under the best of conditions, with the benefit of some very fine anesthesia, an array of expensive equipment and surrounded by a highly qualified staff of medical professionals, this was a stress festival. I cannot imagine trying to pull it off by ourselves in a cold stinky cave! Do not believe that Christmas card. There was nothing peaceful, charming or adorable about this makeshift delivery room.
Oh, I could go on and on about all the anxieties and stress that must have surrounded this blessed God orchestrated event, but here is my point.
It is o.k. if the whole holiday season stresses you out. It is ok if you have to run around until you are exhausted. It is ok if you are concerned and anxious over all the details that did not work out just as you had hoped. It is ok if friends or family relationships hurt you this time of year. All of these things were most likely elements the surrounded the night that Jesus was born. Yet, in the midst of all of it, Mary discovered the peace and joy that is Christmas. Scripture says “Mary pondered all these things and treasured them in her heart”. What things did she ponder… “all these things”. She pondered every thing that had occurred to bring her to that point, including the uncertainty, the pain, the anxiety, the exhaustion, the disappointment and frustration and the hurt. She weighed them with all the love and provision and care and compassion and trust that God had poured out upon her. There in the most unlikely place, under the most unlikely circumstances, Mary cradled the manifestation of God’s love in her arms and she understood the depth of His love. That understanding was her treasure.
There is treasure for you this Christmas. It will not be found in all the things that you think Christmas should be. It is found in all the things that God the Father believes you are. Even in the midst of all our imperfections He has considered us worthy of the gift of His Son. That is our treasure.
Joy to the world, the Lord has come!

The New Year The New Year is upon us and it is resolution time once again. Here is a resolution for a new and improved you that does not include calorie counting or exercise.
In Psalms 90:12, Moses asks the Lord to “teach us to number our days”.
Each day is a gift given by God to those of us who remain. It is a blessing to be enjoyed, optimized and appreciated. That precept can become easily overlooked as the days of the year begin to run in rapid-fire succession, filled with all of the duties, tasks and activities of day to day living.
The days seem to pass by in large clumps marked only by major events rather than individually numbered. Moses’ request was that the Lord would teach us to attach significance to each day. To give each day recognition and meaning; to use each day and separate it out individually from every other.
How can you and I learn to “number“ each day?
Resolve this year to begin “numbering your days” by keeping a journal.
Before you say “no, I do not have time for another task” or “I am not good at writing”, listen to what I am suggesting.
The journal that I am proposing is a daily log that records just two very
simple elements.

1.) Record a single blessing that was unique to that day. We could all spend many hours listing the daily blessings that God pours out upon us and we certainly would not want to take that abundance for granted. We should be faithful to thank Him in prayer for all of those “daily blessings” but in your journal record one blessing that was special or unique to that day.
“Number the day” with a recognized blessing.

“Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders which Thou has done, and Thy thoughts toward us; There is none to compare with Thee. If I would declare and speak of them, they would be too numerous to count. Psalms 40:5

2.) Record a single act of kindness, generosity, compassion, gentleness mercy or love that you extended to someone else that day. It may be as simple as a kind or encouraging word in the line at the supermarket checkout or a card or phone call to a friend or family member. Each day affords us an opportunity to wear the ministry of Christ. Do not let the opportunity slip away.
“ Number the day” with a Christ-like act.

So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all men, and
especially to those who are of the household of faith.
Galatians 6:10

This year, why not take just a few minutes and resolve to begin “numbering” each day. What a pleasure and blessing it will be next year to look back at those things that made each day special. The Psalm of Moses declares that the result will be a “heart of wisdom”.

Happy New Year!

Righteous Anger Righteous anger is not a bad thing. Jesus Christ, Himself cleared the temple of the greedy moneychangers by turning over their tables and rebuking them. There are times when our anger is spiritually justified, but I must confess that at times I have the uncanny ability to become angry over the littlest of things. Mine is usually not a righteous anger, it is a petty anger and just observing the people around me, I have come to the conclusion that I am not alone. The events or situations that set people off are as numerous as the people themselves. From long traffic lights to no more milk in the refrigerator, the catalysts for anger are almost as amusing as they are sad.
On a mild and beautiful winter day I was driving home from a business trip. The sun was setting and the late afternoon sky was magnificent with color. It had been a pretty successful trip and this spectacular display in the western sky was the frosting on the cake. Then, my cell phone rang. It was my oldest son who was just beginning the spring semester of his freshmen year of college.
If you have ever sent a child to college on a modest income you have experienced the exhilaration of knowing that you have paid the upcoming tuition and you have 6 months before it comes due again. This first year had nickle-and-dimed me to death with all the fees and dues and little necessities of life away from home. It had been difficult, but all of that was behind me …or so I thought.
“Dad, can you come by the campus on your way back home? I need to buy some more books”.
The words just stung my ear.
“Son, I thought we had already bought this semester’s books”, I said.
“My professor requires two more for lab, and I would have bought them but it is going to be about two hundred dollars”. His voice was clearly apologetic, even though this was not his fault. But all I could think about was another two hundred dollars.
I am not sure of my exact words as I told him I would be there in an hour and a half and then hung up the phone, but I know that anger burned in me.
As I looked again at the setting sun I was reminded of the Lord’s words to Jonah when he became angry over Nineveh’s repentance.

And the Lord said, “ Do you have good reason to be angry”.
Jonah 4:4

Truthfully, I did not have a good reason. I have a healthy, intelligent and
loving son, who was working hard to earn a mechanical engineering degree.
In fact, I have three wonderful, healthy children and a fantastic wife.
My home was a place I looked forward to going to. I had been undeniably
blessed in business and today I was surrounded by the awesome grandeur of
God’s creative hand. I even had two hundred dollars. I had no good reason at
all to be angry.
I immediately called my son back and asked him if he had time to eat supper
with me. What otherwise would have been a tense and confrontational visit
was instead, a great evening and a vital lesson in anger management.
Next time you feel anger welling up inside you, imagine yourself being
questioned by the Lord Himself.
“Do you have good reason to be angry

God's Refreshment Living in the temperate south, I do not experience harsh winters, but on several occasions throughout the season, the temperature will drop below freezing. One such morning in early March I looked out the kitchen window and noticed that the water in the birdbath had frozen around the outer edge, but it had not gotten cold enough to freeze the deeper water in the middle.
Four small birds were standing on the concrete rim of the bowl unable to reach the unfrozen water in the middle. They would stretch out their little necks, bob their heads and peck at the hard ice within their reach, but they could not get to the water. One would hop up and take flight, fluttering above the much-desired drink. Being unable to drink in flight, the bird would settle back down upon the rim and another would try the same tactic, which yielded the same result.
“Just walk out there on the ice”, I said to myself. “It will hold you”.
Finally, one dared to step out upon the ice. It took one little hop, with its head anxiously and nervously bobbing up and down. Now, out upon the surface but still unable to reach the water, the brave little guy made another careful hop toward the middle. One more hop would put him within reach of the water.
Would he do it?
Yes, one more hop and he had reached the fresh drink.
“OK, now the rest of you”, I thought.
But, no others would go. They just fluttered above the water and then settled back on the secure concrete rim and pecked at the ice.
“What are you waiting on? You saw your buddy do it. The ice will hold you.”
Meanwhile, the brave little ice walker finished his refreshing drink and flew off.
Finally, frustrated and I would bet, still thirsty, the fluttering, pecking threesome flew away. They did not get their drink.
How many of God’s blessings and provisions am I missing out on because I will not step out in faith? I flutter and peck and do all the things I am accustomed to and comfortable with, when the thing that is really required is a step of faith.
How about you?
Do find yourself sitting on the edge watching others share in God’s greatest blessings while you struggle trying to get there your own way. Are you unwilling to step away from the security of your own concrete rim? Maybe you are just a couple of cautious hops away from God’s refreshment.

Devotion There is a cupola on the roof of my barn and perched on top of the cupola is a large rooster weathervane that I call, Mr. B.
From his lofty position Mr. B preaches a silent but powerful sermon each day. Weathervanes like mine do not point in the direction that the wind is blowing. They point in the direction that the wind is coming from. As the breeze blows across the body of the rooster he will rotate and point his directional vane into the wind.
Each day Mr. B can be clearly seen faithfully, and dutifully pointing directly toward the source that moves him. That is a quality that we should desire in our own spiritual life.
As we endeavor to walk in Christ-like obedience we can become so preoccupied with where we are going, that our spiritual direction overshadows our spiritual source. Which then, is spiritually more important; where we are going, or who we serving. We assume that those who see the direction we are pointed will be able to determine what motivates us. Wouldn’t it be better if each day, others could see our lives faithfully and deliberately pointing toward the Lord, the source of our spiritual direction?
Reference: "fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith"

God's Holiness I was eighteen years old the first time that I saw the ocean. I thought that I knew what to expect but there are no pictures, images or descriptions that do the ocean justice. As I stood knee deep in the surf gazing out at the vast blue horizon I was awestruck; rendered speechless and dumbfounded by God’s awesome creative power.
Have you ever felt that way as you looked out over the ocean or stared into a star filled sky?
Have you struggled with trying to comprehend how God’s creation has no end?
Does the power that created everything from nothing boggle your mind and chill your spine?
You are not alone. God’s awesome creative power is beyond description. It is unfathomable to the human mind!
Yet, there is actually something even greater than God’s creative power. His Holiness.
That is right, His Holiness. By God’s own Word, His Holiness exceeds His power.
Holiness that is so unfathomable that scripture says, if man will not declare it, creation will. In the nineteenth chapter of the Gospel of Luke, Jesus tells the Pharisees that if the multitude of His disciples fall silent in praise, the rocks will cry out “Hosanna in the Highest”!
Psalms 19:1 states that the very universe declares the glory of God.
Is it possible that we have become too casual in the reverence that is due a Holy God?
Next time you stare into the unfathomable, endless, universe consider this; God’s Holiness is greater.

Some Things Never Change You have probably heard the saying “some things never change”. It is during this time of year that I am particularly glad that the old adage is true. May and June are the months that we traditionally recognize and honor our mothers and fathers. My wife and I have both been blessed with extraordinary parents.
Twenty-four years ago when I got married, I asked my father to be my best man because that is exactly what he had always been. Although decades have since passed and we are separated by nearly one thousand miles, my dad is still my best man.
When I was growing up, my mother was the face of love for my six siblings and me. Indeed, “some things never change”. Mom is still the face of love.
I love my parents dearly and I will be forever grateful for the values that they have passed on to us children. In our home we learned to cherish and defend family, we learned to laugh, to play, to be resourceful, to work hard and to respect others and the environment. We learned to love our spouse, for better and for worse, in good times and in bad. We learned to revere the Lord and put faith in prayer.
Was it always perfect? Of course it wasn’t.
Would I change one minute of it, if I could? Never.
If you are a parent, this may be a good time to consider the legacy that you are leaving for your children and if, like me, you have been blessed with extraordinary parents perhaps now would be a great time to remind them how much you love them.
Lord, my prayer is simple… May I be the parent that I was raised to be.
Thank you, mom and dad. I love you

Why Me? - Trouble in Texas (Part One in a Two Part Series)
I was driving home from a business trip out west. Although the trip had produced some promising leads, the ride was filled with anxiety and uncertainty over the future of my new business. I was looking forward to getting home and had been making pretty good time when I stopped in The Middle of Nowhere, Texas for fuel and relief. The men’s room was outside, around the side of the gas station.(Just as you would expect at a place stuck forty years in the past), As I stepped around the corner of the building, there they were; two little old, white-haired ladies with the hood raised up on their Buick sedan. The ladies were leaned over each fender staring at the engine as if it were a multi-variable differential calculus equation in the middle of a cornbread recipe. I just wanted to close my eyes and walk past. This is not the kind of situation that you want to encounter when you are making good time.
“Lord, please do not make me ask”.
My silent prayer fell on deaf ears, but I was not going to give up easily.
“You know, it’s possible that they do not even need or want my help.
Perhaps their very capable husbands are inside the service station right now, purchasing a quart of remedy for whatever is ailing the Buick…. right, Lord?”
Silence. Strike two.
In desperation I had to resort to the “why me?” approach.
“Lord, I still have seventeen hours of driving ahead of me. Surely, in this huge state, there has to be someone who is logistically postured better than me, for this task”.
I did not want to be involved. I did not want to ask if they needed help, but the Jesus in me did want to ask…and the Jesus in me won.
“Is there a problem, ladies?”
When the pair looked up at me, the expressions on their faces made two things very clear.
Number one; yes, there definitely is a problem.
Number two; there were no remedy-toting husbands inside the station.
Whether it was duty or compassion made no difference at this point, I now had car trouble 1200 miles from home.

"The King will reply, whatever you did for the least of one of these brothers of mine, you did for me. Matthew 25:4

Why Me? - Trouble in Texas (Part Two in a Two Part Series)

“Yes, there is a big problem. How do we get the coolant out of this plastic tank”, she asked, pointing to the engine coolant reservoir under the hood.
I was a little bit puzzled by the question.
“Why would you want to ? ”
“We put the wrong coolant in the tank by mistake.”
“I am sorry, ma’am , I do not understand. What do you mean ‘wrong coolant’?”
“I put in the green kind, and I was supposed to use the pink. The pink colored coolant is for late model vehicles and the green is for older cars. I filled up this plastic tank with the green kind by mistake and now I need to get it out somehow, and refill it with pink so that we can get home”.
What a relief! “Thank you, Lord,” I whispered to myself. There is no problem here, just a slight misunderstanding and a fearful over-reaction.
“Ladies, I really do not think that you have a serious problem. The coolant that you have added will be just fine for the ride home”
However, they did not share in my relief.
Concerned, perhaps, that I did not fully grasp the dilemma, she restated the problem more slowly and deliberately, “Young man, this is not the pink. We need the pink for late model vehicles.”
“Yes ma’am, I realize that the coolant is not pink, BUT the green coolant will get you safely home. Then, if you like, once you are home, you can have your mechanic flush your cooling system and replace the green with the pink. You do not need to struggle and worry with it out here in the middle of Texas. It will be fine.”
“ I am afraid that the green will not work. It is for older cars,” she said, poking around at the coolant hose with a wrench. I think we need to change it now.”
“Ma’am, I have a certain amount of automotive experience and I promise that you will be fine for the ride home. Do not trouble yourself with this now.”
The two women would hear nothing of it, but rather, chose to stress themselves needlessly over a situation that would ultimately pose no harm.
Why? How could they possibly not see the folly in their distress?
Then, as clear and certain as an audible voice, the Lord’s message came to me. I was being every bit as stubborn and foolish as those two women. My entire ride home had been dampened by concern and worry over the future of my business. The apparent success of the trip, and the positive leads it had generated, were being overshadowed by anxiety and the fear of things I could not see. I had supposedly placed the business into the very capable control of the Lord, yet I still insisted upon worrying about its future.
Why?
Lord, You have considerable experience that I do not have and You have promised that everything will be just fine if I trust in You.
How could I have not seen the folly in my own distress?
Lord, why am I so unwilling just to trust in You?
Why do I choose to try and lean upon my own understanding?
Why do I struggle needlessly over the things that You control?
Lord, help me to yield to your control as eagerly with my mind and heart as I do with my mouth! Teach me to be faithfully, confidently, and cheerfully obedient.

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 direct your paths

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