LET THE LIGHT IN
As I sit at the dining room table, the expected snow has begun to fall. It is not enough to cover the ground…yet. But it is the beginning of the first white Christmas we have had in 10 years. Amongst all the craziness, Father, thank You for the gift of something special…something out of the norm. For that is what You are all about, things that are special and out of the norm. Praise to You, Heavenly Father.
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This week has not been one of normal writings. Lord Jesus, I have felt drawn to thoughts of You as we once again celebrate Your birth…Your coming to be our Emmanuel, our God with us.
As we do so, I came across a new song. Last spring, when a majority of our country was in some sort of lockdown or another, a father-daughter duo posted a song online as something they could do together. They both had a great love for music and great talent to boot. It quickly went viral and they have gone to share many more songs and have even released a CD.
In one of their latest releases, Mat and Savanna Shaw have joined with Peter Hollens, another online powerhouse to release a Peter Hollens original for this Christmas season.
The song does not name God or Jesus, but They are easily seen in the “love” and the “light”. I am not writing much but letting the song speak for itself. Have a Blessed Christmas for truly “all we need this Christmas is love…more love”.
Dec 24th, 2020, Thurs, 4:02 pm
LET THE LIGHT IN
Verse 1: Verse 2:
Lights aglow What is life
Stockings by the chimney If we don’t have each other
A tree shines in the dark Only living for ourselves
Through a frosty window pane Divided we will fall
We sing of hope So give your heart
The joy of the season Stand with one another
But it’s hard to feel that way Letting go of hate
With the pain of yesterday Don’t repeat our past mistakes
Pre-Chorus: Pre-Chorus:
I look for the answers I hope for all children
When I’m crying on my knees When I’m down on my knees
But I can’t find the reasons why That in the darkness they’ll choose light
Chorus: Chorus
So I don’t have a Christmas List Chorus
All I pray for
All I wish is Outro:
Love
It’s all I’m thinking of If you let the light in
That every girl and every boy Hearts will open
Everyone would know the joy
Of love *Repeat*
All we need this Christmas
Is love, love
More love, love
*mmmm (adlib)*
Do You Hear What I Hear?
Well, our much needed break has begun, Father. As a family, help us to make the most of it. May we take advantage of the time we have and love each other to the fullest. Amen.
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I come from a musically inclined family, especially my dad’s side. As a matter of fact, when he entered college his father, who had served several years as a pastor, took the whole family on the road as an evangelist. He preached, they all sang and played a variety of instruments.
I love music and I don’t remember exactly when; I took piano lessons early on. At some point, I was pretty decent for someone my age – never really good but decent. At that time, I learned to play one of my favorite Christmas songs – Do You Hear What I Hear? I’m pretty sure that I still have the music in a box up in the attic somewhere, but I haven’t seen or played it in forever.
The song itself is older than I am…but just by a smidge. I existed but wasn’t born until a few months later. Interestingly enough, it was written as a plea for peace during the Cuban Missile Crisis toward the end of 1962, often considered the closest the Cold War came to escalating into a full-scale nuclear war. Pray for peace, people everywhere! is a portion of the last stanza.
I know I wrote of peace in yesterday’s post but, though it was not my original intent, here it is again. I least from my end of things, God must be trying to get through to us. Especially as followers of Christ, it is imperative that we be purveyors of peace.
Paul in his letter to the Romans states,
For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God, and others will approve of you, too. 14:17-18 NLT (emphasis mine)
Too often, I fear that we do not strive to live righteous lives of goodness, peace, and joy. Quite often the reason we fail is that we don’t take advantage of the Holy Spirit’s presence in our lives.
When someone constantly grates against us, is it a simple task to be a source of peace. No, it’s hard! But…when we call on the Holy Spirit, He is there and he will supply what we cannot. We need but listen to His calling out to us. Do you hear what I hear?
Dec 23rd, 2020, Wed, 2:39 pm
Let There Be Peace
Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to You [for forgiveness] in a time when You [are near and] may be found;
….Surely when the great waters [of trial and distressing times] overflow they will not reach [the spirit in] him. Psalm 32:6 AMP
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A few years ago, I came across an a cappella ensemble of singers on YouTube whom I have come to love. Their name is Voctave. An older song of theirs that comes to mind is entitled “This Is My Wish / Let There Be Peace on Earth” (click below to listen to it).
Peace…what an elusive thing. Always just out of our reach. We all crave it but struggle, and sometimes we just outright drive it away from possibility by our selfish desires and blindness.
I know Your heart breaks, Lord, as You look across the world You so lovingly created and You see what we do to each other – the anger, the hatred, the violence, the backbiting, the discord – it just never ends. It is rampant. And it is everywhere…even the church…
Every day innocent people fall victim to distorted mindsets. My heart aches for all those whose lives have too quickly come to an end and their families who are left carry their loss for the rest of their lives.
We want peace. We strive for peace…but it is elusive. The enemy of our souls is about division, not unity. And peace will not come until he is vanquished once and for all. Peace in the here and now is found only in You and peace for all eternity is found only in You.
The Apostle Paul admonishes us in Romans 12:18,
If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
Lord may this be my prayer. May I also pray with St. Francis of Assisi, “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.” Use me to touch Your world today. Amen.
Core from May 26th, 2017, Fri., 5:06 am
No Cookie Cutters Required
(Unfortunately, these are not Karen’s Kookies – I looked but couldn’t find a good pic.)
As we travel this weary land, Father, use us to bring Your Good News to a world that so desperately needs it. Most of all make us genuine representatives of Your Kingdom. No cookie cutters required! Amen!
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When Massey was little Karen started a small business out of our home to provide us income while still enabling her to take care of him as a full-time mom. It was called Karen’s Kookies. She used a delicious sugar cookie recipe – they were soft and just melted in your mouth! Her creations were unique in that she would brush them with icing and then decorate them with colored sugars to make them look like whatever the image was. A daisy would have an orange center with white petals. Fish would be bands of different colors. You get the idea. They were beautiful and tasty! (We did hear of one recipient who received a kookie bouquet – a terracotta pot with a Styrofoam core covered in Easter grass and then filled with decorated “flowers” on skewers – she refused to eat them because they were so pretty!) Karen hasn’t baked “professionally” in years, but our family is treated to her fine creations most holidays.
As I typed out my opening prayer, I felt compelled to flesh it out a bit.
I honestly think that we would be hard-pressed to find someone who thought our world was just a great place to experience life. Yes, we enjoy many things, with many people but even with all of its joys, life is most assuredly not without its rough spots. And for many, the phrase “rough spot” is a great understatement. Some live their entire lives in seemingly unending “rough spots”.
As believers, we can cling to Jesus for security and support but for those who don’t know Him, it is pretty hopeless. Especially in the times in which we find ourselves – COVID-19 has wreaked havoc and caused division in innumerable areas of our lives. But even beyond that, countless individuals are overwhelmed with all that life continues to throw at them.
And as believers in Christ, what do we offer them? I know what we can offer them but in reality, what do we offer them? What bothers me, and I truly am no less guilty, is the fact that a lot of words come out of our mouths – and it sounds great – but where is the action behind those words?
The Amplified Bible’s translation of James 12:7 reads,
So too, faith, if it does not have works [to back it up], is by itself dead [inoperative and ineffective].
Action is of utmost importance, but another problem lies in the fact that often our faith and actions communicate error or insensitivity. Holy Joe Schmoe said thus and thus and we – in cookie-cutter fashion! – rattle off the same rhetoric and proclaim our duty done.
In these times in which we find ourselves, and really it applies to every time we find ourselves; people are looking not just for band-aids or a few pats on the back but genuine love and compassion. It’s more than tossing a few coins in a red kettle. It’s more than an extra prayer thrown up when it crosses our mind – though those things do fill needs – but, we need to get our hands dirty. We need to be seeking out real needs up close and personal and addressing them. Investing ourselves in them. Committing to those involved.
Is it risky? Probably. Is success guaranteed? Not necessarily. Is it worth it? Most definitely.
When Jesus came to live amongst us, did He hold back? No, He gave His all. He gave and gave and gave…to the very last drop. And we are called to be His disciples and give thinking of others, not just ourselves.
Dec 21st, 2020, Mon, 7:01 pm
In the Bleak Mid-winter
A full day, Father, though not as full as in years past. I pray that our humble offerings of service would have the impact that You desire. Amen.
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This past week something occurred that was a bit out of the ordinary. It is not unusual for it to snow this time of year, but it is a bit unusual for it to linger for very long. We had about four inches earlier in the week and then there was more a day or so later.
Snow is one of those things that people either despise or love. Normally there is not much middle ground. I, for one, love snow…even though it can be a great challenge to drive in – especially a school bus! But honestly, that is another one of the perks of driving a school bus, especially when you drive for a rural school district.
At this point in the year, it is still pretty dark on my early route, but the sun is up for my elementary route and my views are often spectacular – sunrises, wildlife, to name just a couple – but there is something beautifully serene about snow.
Scenes of nature this time of year, and for the next few months, are pretty drab. The only green you will see are evergreens and the occasional field of winter wheat. Everything else consists of a wide variety of browns and greys – somber to say the least. But when the snow comes, everything is under a beautifully brilliant layer of white! It shines…it shimmers. The drab is gone and if you know how to look, sights that are breathtaking to the eyes abound! Come around a bend or pop over a rise and glory is all around.
A few years back a Christian artist by the name of Twila Paris released her version of the Christmas hymn, In the Bleak Mid-winter. (And as if God is affirming my writing, what should come to my ears but the song itself as I write!) I may have heard it before, but it has stuck in my head since then. It was written originally as a poem by a young lady by the name of Christina Rossetti in January 1872. Here are three of its stanzas,
In the bleak mid-winter
Frosty wind made moan;
Earth stood hard as iron,
Water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow,
Snow on snow,
In the bleak mid-winter
Long ago.
Our God, heaven cannot hold Him
Nor earth sustain,
Heaven and earth shall flee away
When He comes to reign:
In the bleak mid-winter
A stable-place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty —
Jesus Christ.
What can I give Him,
Poor as I am? —
If I were a Shepherd
I would bring a lamb;
If I were a Wise Man
I would do my part, —
Yet what I can I give Him, —
Give my heart.
(Read the entire poem on Wikipedia by click here.)
One of our struggles is that far too often we feel that our lives are filled with way too many browns and greys…especially before we come to a relationship with Christ. Life is drab but he covers our lives with Himself, much like snow covers a bleak mid-winter world and lives that were once dull and dreary come alive under His guiding hand. What once had the look of barely being alive now becomes vibrant and glory is all around! What a wonderful gift He gives us!
Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Psalm 51:7 NLT
Dec 20th, 2020, Sun, 8:23 pm