Inspirations from the Funny Farm

Luke 2:4-7 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

It truly is the most miraculous, wonderful time of the year! Think about it, Peeps! A miracle occurred some 2000 years ago when Jesus came to earth as a mere human babe. He was fully God, yet fully man, and He did this just for you and for me! There is no wonder that we are filled with so much excitement around the season. Those of us who feel the true excitement recognize that the true reason for the season is not just the birth of the Christ child, but the fact that Christ went to the cross so that we may have everlasting life with the Father. This truly is the greatest act of love ever known. We should definitely celebrate BIG!

Last night, we drove to Columbia, MS, to see their Main Street light display. We went a couple of years ago, and they do a pretty nice job with the lights. A friend said that they had a Santa on a rooftop and a live nativity this year. Well, that was something we needed to see! It was truly a wonderful experience. Sure enough, old Santa was on a rooftop of one of the businesses wishing everyone a Merry Christmas, but there was a little twist to the tale he told. He credited the true reason for the celebration to the birth of the Savior. The rooftop skit was followed by a herald of angels down the street on another rooftop. After a bit, angels carrying candles walked down the center of the street. The angels were followed by Mary and Joseph who walked to a stable set up near the courthouse. Next, came the shepherds who were carrying live baby goats that were bleating so sweetly. Then came lots of angels who were followed by soldiers, flag bearers, and wise men carrying their gifts. The whole processional was spectacular and breathtaking.

Afterwards, I was thinking about the state of this world. Here we are in the middle of a pandemic, election battle, and in a world full of chaos, but none of that really mattered at that moment. For a brief few moments in time, people gathered around, and Santa directed them to the cross. How amazing is that? I have to give Columbia big cheers for not only setting up a beautiful light display but also for reminding their citizens and visitors of the true meaning of Christmas.

If you aren’t feeling all Christmassy this year, I can understand. It’s been a tough year. It may have been the toughest year many of us have endured in our lifetimes. Do you want to know what I have found during this horribly, awful, terrible year? My faith in Christ has grown stronger every single day, and because of this, I want to celebrate Christmas bigger than ever. I’m not talking about the gifts and goodies, y’all. I’m talking about the Gift and the goodness of Christ. Christ came to earth as a baby boy. He came so that He may feel what you and I feel. He came to save a lost and dying world. He came to die so that we may live! That is worth celebrating every single day of every year, but especially this year! If you are missing that Christmas spirit, pull up a chair or better yet, get down on your knees, and have a little talk with the Savior. That is where you will find joy everlasting!

It is Sunday morning, mid December. Sunday has always been my favorite day of the week. Sundays mean church and family. We gather at our church with our faith family and sing praises, we worship our Lord and Savior, and then we gather around the table with our family for a big Sunday meal. COVID has changed a lot of things, but one thing that it SHOULD NOT change is our need to worship our Lord and Savior. I’ve got to say that I get a bit frustrated when I see people shopping in large crowds, going to restaurants to eat, and traveling all over while our churches are sitting empty. If we are able to go into those crowds, restaurants, and stores, then I’m pretty sure that we are able to sit in the house of the Lord and worship our Savior especially during this season. If you are sick or at high risk, by all means, please stay home! But if you are able to shop, dine out, and get into the hustle and bustle of the crowds, get up and go to church this morning. You will be so glad that you did. Do it safely. Wear a mask. I won’t argue this point. Masks do work. We’ve used them in medicine for many years to prevent spread of germs from the caregiver to the patient. Sit with your nuclear family. Spread out. If we can do this in restaurants and stores, we can do this in church. We can worship safely, but my friends, we can NOT stop worshipping!

‘Tis the season of peace, love, joy, new life, and the beginning of everlasting life. There is so much to celebrate! We can’t fill up the shops and dining establishments, and leave the house of the Lord empty. It just doesn’t make good sense. ‘Tis the season to celebrate Christ! If you are able, I challenge you to get up, get dressed, and go to your house of worship this morning. Our Savior deserves our time and our presence! I love you, and so does Jesus! ‘Tis the season to show our love for others and for Christ! ‘Tis the season to celebrate the Reason!

Proverbs 18:24 One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Proverbs 27:17 As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

I woke up this morning with pretty much every joint in my body aching. There are two reasons for this. The first reason is because a front is moving through, and it’s raining. I’ve been able to predict a front for several years thanks to my arthritic joints! However, the other reason is because yesterday was one of the best days of the year. Yesterday was our annual Christmas candy making day. We started around 8:00 am, and we made candy until well after 8:00 pm. A few friends and family were unable to make it because of COVID and other obligations, but the few of us who gathered pumped out a whole lot of sugary confections! We had so much fun. We laughed, we joked, we worked hard, and we made mistakes. I actually forgot a pan of almond joy cookies in the oven while I was making candied pecans and answering a phone call. When I remembered, I ran to the oven, and as I pulled out the tray, the cookies slide right off of the cookie sheet and into the oven. I almost cried, but instead I laughed, and my sweet sister, Chandra, said, “It’s okay. I’ve got this.” She cleaned up my mess as I hurried back to the pecans before I ruined them too! Christmas candy day isn’t about the candy, y’all, it’s about the love of family and friends. That is the truly sweet part!

As I sit here reflecting on the day, I know that the best part of the day was late yesterday evening. We have been reading through the Bible again this year as a family, and we normally sit down around 8:00 pm to read. Well, 8:00 rolled around, and my husband said, “Time to read the Bible.” Everybody stopped, we gathered around the living room, and we read Amos 4:1 – 6:14, Revelation 2:18 – 3:6, Psalm 130:1-8, and Proverbs 29:21-22. It was so pretty heavy reading after such a carefree day. We briefly discussed what we read, and we prayed together. That, my dear friends, was definitely sweeter than a combination of all the sweet confections that we created yesterday. We enjoyed sweet, sweet fellowship in the Word and in prayer with the sweet people God has given me!

This is why God gives us friends and family. Two truly are better than one, and four and five are even better! There is no way I could have made all of those sweet treats alone yesterday, and it sure wouldn’t have been as fun. Two or more can definitely have a good return for their labor. I wish you could see all the sweet treats we made, and I wish I could let you taste a sample. The fruits of our labor were definitely sweet! Also, when one is down, the other can help lift the other one up. My sister jumped in and did just that when I dropped a whole pan of cookies into the oven! A friend will keep you warm, not just in the literal sense, but also warm inside. The kindness and love and joy of friendship definitely warms the heart! And no matter what, we stick together. We can not be overpowered because we are wearing the full armor of God together and for one another! We strengthen one another with our love for God and our love for one another. We sharpen one another with the Word of God as iron sharpens iron.

Yes, this morning, I am thanking God for friends and family, today and every day! God sure blessed me with some awesome friends and family, and I don’t think I tell them enough what a blessing they are to me! Friends are a sweet gift from God, and they are truly sweeter than all the candy in the world! If you have friends and family that work with you, pick you up when you are down, warm your heart, and strengthen you in your faith walk, well, Peeps, you have been blessed greatly by our Holy Father! Enjoy the sweetness of friendship as the gift God intended it to be!

“We who have sweet fellowship together walked in the house of God in the throng.” Psalm 55:14

“Today in the town of David, a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.” Luke 2:11

“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was out to death in body but made alive in Spirit.” I Peter 3:18

Today, we continue a tradition that started way, way, way back when we were in high school. Today is Christmas candy day. It is one of the best days of the year! I’m scurrying around preparing for the soon to be sugar induced coma that is apt to come after 10 or 12 hours of candy making, so today, I’d like to share an excerpt from my book, “Inspirations from the Funny Farm.” Please enjoy…and have some candy!

Way back in the dark ages when I was still in high school, my best friend Lisa’s mom invited us to her home to make Christmas candy. I know in my heart of hearts that Nanny Herndon didn’t have a clue as to what she was starting that fine December day. What began as a fun activity to occupy the time of some silly teenage girls turned into a huge annual tradition that now involves our whole families and other friends for more than 35 years!

When I say that we get together and make Christmas candy that doesn’t sound very impressive so I’m going to explain Christmas candy making day. Beginning in November, we get together and decide on a date for candy day. Then Lisa, Dana, Melissa, and I put our plan into motion. We now include sisters, aunts, cousins, children, husbands, in-laws, neighbors and friends in candy making. Everyone participating brings ingredients for candies that they intend to make. We take turns hosting candy day at our homes. I always love it when I get to host candy day on our farm. It’s probably because I’m most comfortable in my own kitchen, but also because I just love having our home full of family and friends. There is nothing quite like it.

We gather around 8:00 am, and then we just pick a recipe and get to work. Some work on recipes alone making their own sweet confections while others work together as a team. We then make candy: lots and lots of candy! We have tried to make just about everything we can think of, but some of our yearly favorites include Oreo truffles, Martha Washington’s, peanut butter truffles, Christmas crack, white trash, fudge, divinity, haystacks, and oh so much more. We set up folding tables all over the house, and by the time we are finished, which is usually close to 8:00 pm, the tables are over flowing with so much sugary sweet confections that we could probably open a candy shop or put a diabetic straight into a coma. At the end of the day, we divide up the finished products and everyone takes a portion to their own home. I then package my candies up and give them away as quickly as possible to co-workers and friends. Trust me, leaving all that sweetness laying around the house is dangerous to my waistline!

While we are making the candies, we have so much fun. Everyone just falls into sync and everything gets done without anyone having to be told what to do. We laugh, we make mistakes, and we catch up on what is going on in our lives. We share our troubles and our burdens. We lift one another up, and we praise one another. I’ve come to realize through the years that candy making day isn’t just about making five billion calories of candies. Candy making day is really about love. It is one day of the year that we gather together in the kitchen and have fun with the people that we love the most, and how fitting is it that we get together during the time of year when we celebrate the One that we most love! The older I get, the more special this tradition becomes. There were many years when I was younger that I just “showed up” for candy making. I didn’t really get into the spirit of it. Through the years, I slowly recognized how much this tradition and these people meant to me, and I wanted to put everything I had into making it the best day ever. This reminds me a lot of my Christian walk. There were many days in my youth that I just “showed up” as a Christian, but I didn’t really participate. As I’ve grown older, I have recognized the importance of my calling as a Christian, and I want to share Christ with everyone that I can and take as many people to heaven with me as I can because the day that Jesus calls us home will be the very best day ever!

Traditions are important, and candy making day is just one of many family traditions that brings joy to my life. Making Christmas candy is loads of fun, and it seems to get better with each passing year. I’m happy that my children have been able to share in these experiences with us. More importantly, I’m thankful that our children enjoy the tradition of Christmas and understand the real reason behind the season and who we are celebrating. Christmas is a time of year when we go crazy shopping, decorating, and planning. We get so busy with all the things that we feel like we have to do. Life is busy, and I get that. But Christmas isn’t about the candy making, the decorations, the presents or the bows, Christmas is really about the greatest gift that this world has ever known. On Christmas, we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior. God loves us so much that He sent His Son to walk on earth, fully God and fully man. He loves us so much that He died on the cross taking on all our sins. I cannot even comprehend that kind of love. I am a sinner. I mess up every single day. Jesus knows me better than I know myself, yet He still chose to suffer and die for me. But joy comes in the morning. Three days later, He conquered death and arose from the grave. He is going to call all his kids home one day. I can’t wait to run into the arms of my precious Father! I know that day will be sweeter than the combinations of all the candy we have ever made on candy day!

Luke 1:26-35 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.  But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God.  You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”  “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.

Luke 2:19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.

Several years ago, we went to a Gaither Christmas Concert on the coast. I bought the concert tickets as a gift for my daddy and in-laws. The night of the concert, we loaded up in the car and drove to Biloxi. The drive usually takes about an hour, but that night it took at least an hour and a half. A terrible thunderstorm blew in that afternoon. My husband drove through torrential sheets of pouring rain. The wind was blowing. We could hardly see the road. By the time we arrived, we were wondering if it was even worth the trip. The drive south was pretty awful! However, once we were inside the comfort of the coliseum, we were mesmerized by the wonderful concert. It was so uplifting, and we all enjoyed the show. They sang Christmas songs, joked with one another, and had us laughing out loud. At one point in the show, Bill Gaither was teasing Mark Lowry. Mark was talking about the song he had written as they were making the introduction to the next song. Bill said, “You have only written one song.” Mark came back with, “When you write the perfect song, you only need to write ONE song.” I have to agree. Mark Lowry is best know for co-writing the beautiful song “Mary Did You Know.” I heard this song on my drive in to work yesterday morning, and I have to say, it is definitely on the top of my list of favorite Christmas songs. I bet you have heard it, and even sang along, but just in case you haven’t, let me share the lyrics.

“Mary, did you know that your Baby Boy would one day walk on water? Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy would save our sons and daughters? Did you know that your Baby Boy has come to make you new? This Child that you delivered will soon deliver you. Mary, did you know that your Baby Boy will give sight to a blind man? Mary, did you know that your Baby Boy will calm the storm with His hand? Did you know that your Baby Boy has walked where angels trod? When you kiss your little Baby you kissed the face of God? Mary did you know. The blind will see. The deaf will hear. The dead will live again. The lame will leap. The dumb will speak the praises of The Lamb. Mary, did you know that your Baby Boy is Lord of all creation? Mary, did you know that your Baby Boy would one day rule the nations? Did you know that your Baby Boy is heaven’s perfect Lamb? The sleeping Child you’re holding is the Great, I Am.”

Wow! Isn’t that awesome? You know, we recognize Mary as the mother of Jesus, and she is an important part of the Christmas story of the birth of our Savior, but we focus our attention on the Christ child as we should. But have you ever considered how Mary must have felt? Did Mary have an inkling of who this Christ child would be? Did she have any idea that the child leaping within her womb would actually be able to walk on water one day? Did she even faintly comprehend that this child would be the Salvation for the world or that the One she delivered would be our Deliverer? Did she comprehend that this child would give sight to the blind, calm storms, or walk where angels trod? And my favorite part, did she have a clue that when she kissed that precious baby boy, she was kissing the very face of God! The thought of it gives me chills! What an awesome blessing to be chosen to carry the Son of God! I can’t help but wonder, “Did Mary Know?” One fine day, I’m going to sit down and ask her. I can’t wait to hear all of the exciting stories that I am sure she will share.

But what about you? Do you know this baby boy that we are celebrating, the One you’ve heard about in song and scripture? Do you know that He came to deliver us? He came to be our salvation. He gave sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, and raised the dead. He caused the lame to leap and the dumb to speak. That little baby Jesus did not stay in that manger. He grew up, and He walked on the earth just like you and I. But there is a grave difference between Jesus and us. He walked with pure perfection, unblemished, and without sin, and He was born to die. Yes, He was born to die on the cross for our sins so that we may have an everlasting relationship with the Father. When I try to ponder all of these things in my heart, I don’t know whether to cry or sing! I bet Mary knew! The question is, do you?

Isaiah 9:6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Romans 8:32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

A couple of years ago at Christmas, our Pastor, Bro. Shane, made a statement in His sermon that really stuck, He said, “To enjoy Christmas, embrace what we deserve. To enjoy Christmas, you must enjoy the Savior. To truly enjoy the Savior, we have to truly realize what a Gift He is!” Y’all think about that for a moment. Try to wrap your head around it. Let it seep into every pore of your body and fill you with delight. Many times, November and December roll in faster than an Amtrak train, and we scurry around buying gifts for those we love. We want it to be perfect. The decorations have to be just right. The tree has to be beautifully trimmed. The ridiculous number of gifts under the tree have to be wrapped and adorned perfectly with glittering bows and paper. We have the incorrect mindset of thinking that all of those things matter. We put so much weight into the “getting ready for Christmas,” but not nearly enough weight in the “celebration of the Savior.”

Over the years, I have had so many packages under the tree for my children and family that the twelve foot tree was almost dwarfed by the gifts. Yea, I use to be really ridiculous with my gift giving. I can’t help myself. I love to give. But think about this. Do my kids “deserve” all those gifts under the tree? Probably not, but oh how I love my kids, and I absolutely enjoy giving gifts to the precious jewels that I get to call mine! I give the gifts because I love them! Now, consider this. Do you and I deserve the gift of salvation? ABSOLUTELY NOT! Yet, a little over 2000 years ago, God showed His love to us in an unprecedented fashion. He gave us the greatest gift ever! He gave us His Son who came to earth fully God, but also fully human. Jesus was born to die! He was born to die for each and every one of us, Our heavenly Father loves us so much that He gave us the most wonderful, special, perfect Gift in the world because He loves us. He gives us His grace and mercy. We didn’t do anything to deserve this special Gift. We could never earn this Gift. We were given the Gift of salvation because each of us are jewels in our Father’s eyes, and He just couldn’t help Himself. He loves us that much!

I hate it when temporarily lose sight of God. Sometimes my vision gets clouded by the million and one tasks that I am trying to complete, but praise God! He never loses sight of me. Do I deserve the 5,987,465 chances that He has already given me? Do I deserve the next chance that He is already going to give me? Absolutely not, but guess what? Our God is so loving and so faithful that no matter how many times we mess up, no matter how far we roam, no matter how much trouble we get ourselves in, and no matter how busy we find ourselves, God WILL ALWAYS BE GOD! He will always be right there by your side. He will never leave you. And even if He has forgiven you 5,987,465 times, He’s ready and waiting to forgive you again and again. We don’t deserve this, but He truly loves His kids and just as we desire a close relationship with our children, God desires a close relationship with each and everyone of His kids!

To enjoy Christmas this year, you must enjoy the Savior, and to truly enjoy the Savior, we have to truly realize what a Gift He is! Quit worrying about the presents, and start remembering whose PRESENCE you are in! I pray that you find yourself cozy and warm in the arms of Christ this morning, but if you feel that you are distant from the Savior, I pray you find your way back! He hasn’t gone anywhere He is still waiting for you to receive the greatest Gift ever!

John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

I John 5:4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.

Hebrews 12:1 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,

Out here on the farm, we come across small mounds of dirt that have been thrown up above the earth leaving evidence of where a mole had burrowed near the surface. These are called molehills. We know that moles are fairly small, and the hill that they form are also rather small in comparison to hills and mountains. We could very easily step over or even onto a molehill. There is nothing to it. However, many times in life we are guilty of making a mountain out of a molehill. This occurs when we make too much out of a minor issue and give it much more weight than it deserves.

I’ll go ahead and be the first to admit that I have been guilty of this more times that I can say. It is quite easy to get overly upset about the little things in life, and when we do this, those little things grow bigger and bigger until we soon find ourselves face to face with a mountain of anxiety. Sometimes our mountains appear without our assistance, but many times we cause these obstacles to develop through our own actions, fears, or worries. Sometimes, God may allow us to face a mountain to show us that through His we can climb over or even crush those mountains with ease.

Rather than making molehills into mountains, we should make our mountains into molehills. How do we do this? We stop looking within ourselves and looking at the problem, and we must look up to God and remember His power. Jesus said, “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:20) Jesus knows that the problems in our lives are like mountains to us, but He tells us here that we can speak in faith and move those mountains out of our way. He didn’t tell us that we have to have mountain sized faith. We only need faith as tiny as a little mustard seed. With faith in Christ, nothing is impossible for us.

Look at Psalm 97:5. “The mountains melt like wax before the Lord, before the Lord of all the earth.” Let…that…soak…in. Mountains can literally melt away in the presence of our Lord and Savior. Anxieties melt away, sicknesses are healed, depression is lifted, broken relationships are restored, addictions are overcome, and mountains are made into molehills! It is easy to allow ourselves to get caught up in the despair of the moment around us, and we can quickly lose sight of the big picture, but it doesn’t have to be that way. The next time you feel a molehill turning into a mountain, look up and remember that the power of the Holy Spirit is within you, and watch that mountain melt away and return into a molehill. We can’t do anything without Christ, but with Him, nothing is impossible. Grab a hold of that mustard seed and melt those mountains today!

James 4:5-10 Do you think the Scriptures have no meaning? They say that God is passionate that the spirit he has placed within us should be faithful to him. And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.

Yesterday a young man named Tyler preached during our morning church service. He is a college student who has been called to the ministry. Praise God that He answered that calling. He did an awesome job preaching about the jealousy of God. The text he shared was James 4:1-10, and he did a fantastic job sharing the truth of the Word of God. Our God indeed is a jealous God. We can not be friends of world and God at the same time. We must love God and chase after Him and not the things of this world.

Praise God that He understands that we are mere humans, and He knows we are going to mess up. The scripture tells us that our God is a passionate God, and His Spirit is within us, and we should be faithful to Him. Yet, He recognizes our imperfections and extends grace to His children. “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Wow! Isn’t that a wonderful thing? God gives immeasurable grace to His kids, but we must humble ourselves before Him to receive this grace.

How do we humble ourselves? James gives us a little insight in this scripture. First, we must resist the devil, and the devil will flee from us. Bro. Tyler made an excellent point when he shared a reminder that as humans, we too often put God and the Devil on level playing fields. It is good for us to remember that Satan is NOT equal to God. He is a fallen angel. He is not omnipresent or omnipotent. He can not be everywhere at once. He is NOT God. When we place our faith in Christ, and we resist the Devil, that old Devil doesn’t stand a chance.

We must come close to God, and He will come close to us. There are many times when we feel alone. We feel that God has left us or forgotten us. This is never the case. God will never leave or forsake us, but rather we have a habit of leaving Him. We get to busy with things of this world, and we move ourselves away from God. If you aren’t feeling that closeness to God that you once felt, let me assure you that God did not move, you did. “Come close to God, and God will come close to you.”

But how do we close that gap? Thankfully, James gives us some more insight. We must wash our hands and purify our hearts. Wash those sins away. Christ washed our sins away on the cross many years ago. He can cleanse our bodies and our hearts if only we would allow Him to take full reign of our hearts and minds. We can not divide our loyalty between God and the world. It just won’t work. We must allow Christ to purify our hearts!

James then tells us to shed tears for what we have done. Do you think he is telling us that as Christians we should mope around as sad, miserable beings? On the contrary, James is reminding us that we must feel shame and sorrow for our sins as it is our sins that separate us from our One true love. Sin in our lives separates us from a relationship with Christ, and separation from Him is definitely something to grieve over. When we recognize that sin is in our lives and that we are separated from Christ, we grieve. We cry. We feel great sadness.

Praise God that this isn’t the end of the story. Verse 10 says “Humble yourselves before the Lord, He will lift you up in honor.” That literally blows me away! God opposes the proud, but He gives grace to the humble. He doesn’t just give us grace. He lifts us up in honor! Wow!

My friends, these are some trying times, and it is easy to get caught up in the things of this world. We must remember that the things of the world are temporal, but God is eternal. I’m so thankful for His grace as I continue to strive for humility. Being humble is not easy, but trusting God is. By His grace, we are saved! Praise God!

This time of year, most of us are engaged in many different family traditions, Christmas activities, and we are busy trying to check off our lists. Our family watches Hallmark Christmas movies every year, and this year, I think we have seen almost all of them thanks to our two week COVID quarantine. I know the plots are very similar, and the ending is always a happily ever after, but the movies are clean and enjoyable. One thing that Hallmark has worked the plot around in quite a few movies is a Christmas Bucket List. It is a list of activities that must be completed before Christmas. I think it is a fun idea, and I’m definitely not opposed to it, but I’d like to offer a twist to the normal list.

1. Buy presents. Oh, yea, that one is always on our to do Christmas list. It’s definitely nice to buy and give presents, but instead of merely buying presents this year, how about we BE PRESENT. Being present for our friends and family is so much more important that giving a gift that they may store away and soon forget. “Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.” (Hebrews 10:24) Let us spend time together, play together, and pray together this Christmas season while motivating one another to love and good works. Time spent with family and friends is a very precious gift, and it is one that we too often take for granted until it’s too late. BE PRESENT this year for Christmas.
2. Wrap gifts. I actually have all of my gifts already wrapped and under the tree this year, but what if instead of focusing on wrapping those gifts, we wrapped our arms around those we love with a great big hug. I’d tell you to go hug a stranger too, but with COVID, we better just give some air hugs for now. We need to show the love of Christ this Christmas season and every season. It’s not an option. It’s a command. “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.” (John 13:34) WRAP SOMEONE IN A HUG this Christmas and show them the love of Christ!
3. Send gifts. Okay, Peeps, after you buy the gifts and wrap the gifts, the next logical thing is to send the gifts. Everyone loves receiving gifts, but do you want to know something that everyone is craving? Everyone craves love. How about instead of focusing our time and energy on sending the perfect gift, we spend this season striving to SEND LOVE! Be genuine just as Romans 12:40 tells us, “Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.” There is no better time of the year to show your love for others and your love for Christ than right now. This world is so dark and full of sadness and disdain. This world needs the love of Christ, and you have that love within you. Don’t keep it all to yourself. SEND LOVE out into the world today!
4. Shop for food. Some people may not think this is fun, but my husband and I love to go shopping for food in a large supermarket. We actually have so much fun doing this. However, we have found something even more fulfilling than shopping for food and that is donating food. Whenever you try to bless someone with a gift of food, time, love, money, or what have you, by giving that blessing to others, you also will be blessed. Recall the words of Isaiah 58:10. “Feed the hungry, and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon.” DONATE FOOD this Christmas season. Help those in need. I promise you won’t regret this. You will be the one receiving the gift, and I bet that you get as much joy out of the donation as the person receiving the gift!
5. Make cookies. Every single Hallmark Christmas movie has people making and decorating cookies. They do a fine job too. Actually, they are so pretty that they look like they are store bought. Making cookies is a fun way to enjoy time with friends and family, and this leads to MAKING MEMORIES. Hebrews 10:25 reminds us “And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.” We should gather together in Christian fellowship and in worship, and encourage one another, build strong bonds and friendships, and make good memories together! MAKE MEMORIES this Christmas! Memories don’t cost a thing, but they are priceless!
6. See the lights. This is a family tradition for us for sure. We love to go out and admire the pretty light displays and drink hot cocoa. It is always a fun time. I think everyone should go out and enjoy the Christmas lights because the lights remind us that light overcomes darkness. So finally, I ask you to BE THE LIGHT. You can probably guess the verse for this one. “In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” (Matthew 5:16) It is a cold, dark world out there my friends, and it is up to the children of God to get out there and shine the light of Christ into the dark. BE THE LIGHT this Christmas. Let the light of Christ shine through you and let it be brighter than all of the Christmas lights in town! BE THE LIGHT!

I pray that you all have a safe and healthy Christmas season. Let’s shake things up a bit and check off a new Christmas Bucket List as we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior!

Romans 8:31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

Matthew 6:34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Psalm 18:39 You armed me with strength for battle; you humbled my adversaries before me.

Ephesians 6:11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.

If you follow my blog, you know that I’ve admitted previously that I used to hold the title “Worrier Queen.” Oh, y’all, I was so good at my job too, unbelievably good! I could find something to worry about even when there was NOTHING to worry about. I cannot tell you how many nights of sleep I have missed due to some concocted thing that I worried over and lost precious hours of sleep. Now than I’m in my fifties, I sure do regret missing all of that beauty sleep! Praise God that I gave up that title. Worrier Queen is not they person I want to be, but rather I want to be a Warrior Queen for Christ! I know that I haven’t received “queen” status, and never will, but glory to God, He is teaching me daily to be a warrior for Him!

How then does one go from being a worrier to a warrior? It isn’t easy. I’m not going to lie to you. It took me fifty four years to get to where I am now, and I still work on it every day. I couldn’t do it on my own, but God! Oh, there’s that but God again, and I must say that the only way I could have changed my status from worrier to warrior is because God has changed me. You see, I recognized that I was a worrier. I didn’t like being a worrier, but I couldn’t do anything about, at least that is what I thought. Turns out, I was wrong. I couldn’t do anything about it in and of myself, but with the grace and strength of God, I could. Philippians 4:13 promises us that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. We only need to learn to let go and let God.

The transition from worrier to warrior definitely didn’t occur overnight. I recognized that worry was consuming my life, and if worry, or anything else for that matter, is consuming you, then how can you have room for Christ to consume you? The simple answer is you can’t, and when I realized this, I began to earnestly pray for God to help me to stop being a worry wort, and He certainly did. He never fails! I began following the instruction manual a little more closely, and in Colossians 4:2 it says to “devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” That my friends is how I was able to give up my old worry wort title, and gradually transform into the warrior that I am still trying to become. I have also read Matthew 6:25-36 about a thousand times reminding me not to worry. If God so graciously takes care of the birds of the air and the flowers of the fields with such delicate intricacy, He will surely take care of the ones that He made in His own image, right? And another go to scripture that helped in my transformation is Philippians 4:6-7, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

I armed myself with the Word of God, and whenever a seed of doubt or worry crept in my mind, I prayed. Oh boy did I pray a lot. I even spoke out loud to the old devil and told him that he wasn’t allowed in my home, my family, or my mind anymore. I reminded him that Christ was the King of my home and my life and my heart, and he wasn’t allowed to visit or hang out here anymore. He had worn out his welcome so I pulled up the welcome mat, and I locked the door and threw away the key! My prayer life changed from one of morning, meal time, and bedtime into one that was continuously flowing twenty four hours a day. I wake up praying. I go to sleep praying, and if I wake up during the night, I pray then too. I have seen many prayers answered and many mountains moved through prayer, and I am thankful God has allowed me to transform!

We can all be warriors for Christ. Paul explains how to armor ourselves up for spiritual warfare in Ephesians 6:10-20. “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.”

Arm yourselves with truth, righteousness, readiness, faith, salvation, the Word, and prayer. Don’t forget to arm yourself with lots and lots of prayer! We were not designed to wallow in the depths of worry and self doubt. We were created to serve our heavenly Father. We were created to be warriors! Won’t you turn loose of the worry today, and live the warrior life that Christ designed for you too? I can not tell you how freeing it is to not allow worry to consume me, and it is an overwhelming blessing to allow Christ to consume my heart, my thoughts, and my life. Won’t you put on the full armor of God today?