Propagate!
Father, I am grateful for my family. We love having Massey home and this holiday season has been especially sweet with the job with which You have blessed me! Two full weeks of blessings! Father, I pray that he has been refreshed and is ready to tackle his last year of grad school. Strengthen him, sustain him. I lift him up to You and, as he has always been, he is in Your arms. Amen.
Matthew 28:16-20 (<<click to read the passage)
This whole passage speaks volumes but I’d like to highlight a couple of portions in particular.
Go therefore and make disciples… v19a
…I am with you always [remaining with you perpetually—regardless of circumstance, and on every occasion], even to the end of the age.” v20b
At the end of October, I wrote Grow Where You Are Planted (<<click to read) and touched on this but I feel impressed to expound upon this mindset.
How would we describe someone who would “make disciples”? Would they be a pastor? Or a Bible scholar? Or a theology professor? Or a Sunday School teacher? They would at least have to be a person with an outgoing personality – an extrovert, right? They would all foot the bill for that responsibility but, and some may struggle with this, we all have that responsibility! Every. Single. Follower of Christ.
When we think of plants, in order for them to continue to exist they must propagate! They must spread through their roots or broadcast seed of some sort (I’d Rather Be a Black-eyed Susan <<click to read). Followers of Christ must do the same! And it makes no difference who you are or where you are – you can propagate! Merriam-Webster’s Kids Definition of propagate is to have or cause to have offspring: MULTIPLY
In my almost two decades at Kohl’s I never once took a Bible to work with the goal of leading someone to Christ. I never got on the PA and preached a sermon to anyone. I simply lived my life for all to see. Did I do it perfectly – absolutely not! But I followed Christ with everything I had and I believe I impacted people, both fellow workers, and customers. I truly feel that people’s lives were changed by Christ through my faith in Him. And we all can do the same!
Lord, give us the faith we need to shine! May we be all we can be in You to reach and touch a world with You – we will make a difference! Amen.
Jan 4th, 2019, Fri, 7:22 am
Believing the Fabrication
Father, thank You for the life with which You have blessed me. I could sit here all morning and dwell on the many aspects of Your love and watchcare over me and my list would be long indeed! May every moment of my days reflect my gratitude and devotion!
Matthew 28:11-15 (<<click to read the passage)
fab·ri·cate /ˈfabrəˌkāt/ verb
invent or concoct (something), typically with deceitful intent.
“officers fabricated evidence”
synonyms: falsify, fake, counterfeit, cook; invent, make up
“he fabricated research data”
concoct, make up, dream up, invent, trump up;
informal cook up
“fabricating a pack of lies”
In this morning’s passage, the Amplified Bible uses the word fabricated.
“You say this, ‘His disciples came at night and stole Him while we were sleeping.’ … So they took the money [they were paid for lying] and did as they were instructed; and this [fabricated] story was widely spread among the Jews, and is to the present day. v13,15
So that leaves us with a choice. We can believe the truth…or we can believe the fabrication. And the reality of it is that we can believe what we want to believe but there will inevitably come a time when the truth will be acknowledged, regardless of what we “believe”.
Our eternity lies in our decision. We alone can make it. That’s what free will is all about. And we must bear the consequences.
Lord Jesus, help me to shine brightly every day, guiding others to You so that they might grasp the truth and secure their rightful place at Your side. Amen.
Jan 3rd, 2019, Thurs, 9:27 am
Grace
There is something so satisfying about a fresh beginning. Father, when I pray at church it is not unusual for me to express that I am grateful. And honestly, I have a multitude of reasons to be so. Thank You for being with me – thank You for saving me and keeping me…
Matthew 28:8-10 (<<click to read the passage)
I really enjoy using a study Bible. My Life Application Study Bible brings many things to mind. For example today it points out that Jesus referred to the disciples as “brothers.”
Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell My brothers to leave for Galilee, and there they will see Me [just as I promised].” v10 AMP
As I think to the last time they were together – there in the Garden of Gethsemane – they were anything but brothers! Matthew 26:56b tells me that upon His arrest, “…all the disciples deserted him and fled.”
Lord, you didn’t let the stew any more than they already had. They didn’t have to earn Your trust and Your love once again. There is no browbeating. There is no probationary period. Straight out of the tomb there is forgiveness…love…grace!
At the turn of the 20th century, Julia Harriette Johnston wrote the text of Grace Greater than Our Sin.
Marvelous grace of our loving Lord,
Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt!
Yonder on Calvary’s mount outpoured,
There where the blood of the Lamb was spilt.
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that is greater than all our sin!
No matter where we’ve been, what we’ve said, what we’ve thought, what we’ve done (or haven’t done, for that matter) …grace is there! Thank You, Lord, for grace greater than our sin!
Jan 2nd, 2019, Wed, 12:31 pm
Cusp of a New Year
Sitting here on the cusp of anew year, Father, I can see the past year as it trails behind me. There have been mountains and valleys in many aspects of my life. There have been times of laughter…there have been tears. There have been times when You have burst with pride…and times when You have shaken Your head at my folly. And through it all, You have loved me and encouraged me and I have been forgiven for my folly.
Father, in this new year may I be in the center of Your will. May time spent with You been be of greatest importance – not just the once a day sitting down but may I be aware of You presence every moment, giving You thanks, learning from You and steering my life according to Your wisdom, basking in Your love and then giving it away liberally!
A quote attributed to John Wesley comes to mind and it is memorialized in a small gift from a friend that sits on my dresser. My friend, now with his Savior, lived it, as well.
Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as ever you can.
Lord Jesus, may it be so. Amen.
Jan 1st, 2019, Tues, 8:59 am
Merry Christmas!
As we head into the heart of Christmas, I want to thank all my readers for your consistent support. I’m going to take a week or two hiatus while I enjoy my first holiday season out of the retail world in almost two decades! My son is home from Texas and Karen and I are going to take full advantage of our time together!
The following is the letter that we placed in our Christmas cards this year and I would like to share it with you, my family and friends. Merry Christmas to you all and look for new posts after the first of the year. May it be a blessed one for us all!
❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄
Well, our long overdue Christmas letter is finally before you. 2017 and 2018 were full of many transitions, so much so, that a letter last year just wasn’t forthcoming. There were many struggles and hurdles to overcome but we have had each other and we are so grateful that our heavenly Father has strengthened us and guided us all along the way. 2019 holds much promise of many good things which we are looking forward to with much anticipation!
Karen is in her 17th year teaching at Highland Local Schools. And you might not realize it, but teaching does not get any easier as time goes on. Problems that once plagued upper grades now fill the ranks of younger children. Please keep them and your public educators in your prayers.
In October of 2017, Karen had a much needed surgical procedure on her back, fusing two vertebrae together – bolts included. She was a wonderful patient and though she will never be 100% (arthritis factors in as well) she is so much better! For an entire year she could not bend, twist or lift anything over 25 pounds but this past October she was released by her surgeon to (with caution) return life to normal. We were so blessed to have such a talented surgeon and staff to see to her care.
I don’t think that we could love each other any more than we do (But we’re up to the task)! We celebrated our 32nd Anniversary this year and continue to mesh our talents as we work together in everything that God sets before us.
Massey is beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel as his work in the doctoral program at Texas A&M should be wrapping up before the end of next year. Prior to Thanksgiving this year he had the privilege to present at the Annual Meeting of the American Physical Society’s Division of Fluid Dynamics in Atlanta. It was stressful getting to that point but he did well and it was great preparation for his upcoming thesis. We are so proud of his work ethic and the fine young man he continues to be. He does nothing halfway but gives everything to the task at hand. We look forward to our time together here at Christmas!
He still plays Pokémon Go and it continues to be a wonderful social outlet for him. Over the last couple of years, his group has joined with a local restaurant to support local efforts to raise funds for the construction of a special needs playground at a park in the College Station area. To date, they have contributed over $2,200!
And me? My life has taken a total turn! As of December 1st, I will no longer be an employee of Kohl’s! The way things have worked out, my last day I will have served Kohl’s for 18 years and 3 days. I have had many opportunities for ministry in my third “church” – weddings and funerals included. It has been a good run but as November 19th I am a certified school bus driver for Highland Local Schools! It took much longer to get to this point than I thought but I can surely testify to the Lord’s perfect timing! I am excited about the many prospects, my interaction with my kids has been great, I will have 4+ hours in the middle of each day for sermon/service preparation and visitation, and Karen and I will have the same schedule – weekends, holidays, summer vacation and snow days, too! The Lord has just worked out every little detail and I thank Him daily for His abundant blessing!
I continue to love serving the people of Beulah and Liberty Chapel. I pray the Lord will lead me to a new opportunity with them and our impact in our communities. Time has been a little tight with work, church and preparing to take my bus test but I am still blogging and Ephesians 1:4 continues to inspire me. “Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.” What an awesome statement! We are all so blessed to be “more than useless”!
We pray that you have sought out God in your life –if not He is diligently reaching out to you. We pray that His love and compassion fill you as you strive to fulfill His calling upon you – for nothing is more important. Merry Christmas!
With a never ceasing love! Thom, Karen, and Massey
Dec 20th, 2018, Thurs, 10:02 pm