Jesus Reveals the Opposing Fathers of Truth and Lies!

We know that Jesus coming to earth as a baby on Christmas was intentional. God sent His only Son to show those who claim to be His children how they should live. Yes, Jesus was human, but he was also fully God so He was able to withstand and endure what would be difficult for us to endure on our own. But after He went to the Cross to offer us salvation, arose from the grave three days later, and then ascended back to His Father in heaven, He left us with the Holy Spirit to guide us through the temptations and trials of daily life.

When we attempt to excuse our failures with “I’m only human,” that’s an invalid misnomer. The Holy Spirit lives in the heart of every believer guiding our conscience, choices, decisions, and actions. The Holy Spirit explicitly warns us when we’re going astray. If you’re a believer in Jesus Christ, I know you’ve experienced this nudging in your spirit.

Why am I choosing to talk about the truthful character of our Lord and Savior at this time of Christmas celebration? Because our world is full of lies, lies, lies, and more lies, and many are becoming deceived. I’ll talk about that more in a moment, but let’s first look at what Jesus says about the Father of truth and the father of lies.

We know that Jesus never told a lie. He was the personification of truth and righteousness. Jesus told him [Thomas], “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. John 14:6 NLT

 Jesus also made it crystal clear in John 8:31-47 where lies originate.

31 Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. 32 And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

But the people argued with Him.

33 “But we are descendants of Abraham,” they said. “We have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean, ‘You will be set free’?” 

Jesus patiently but bluntly explained.

34 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin. 35 A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free. 37 Yes, I realize that you are descendants of Abraham. And yet some of you are trying to kill me because there’s no room in your hearts for my message. 38 I am telling you what I saw when I was with my Father. But you are following the advice of your father.”

Again, they argued that Abraham was their spiritual and physical father.

39 “Our father is Abraham!” they declared.

“No,” Jesus replied, “for if you were really the children of Abraham, you would follow his example.  40 Instead, you are trying to kill me because I told you the truth, which I heard from God. Abraham never did such a thing. 41 No, you are imitating your real father.”

They replied, “We aren’t illegitimate children! God himself is our true Father.”

Then Jesus went straight to the heart of who their “true father” was if they didn’t believe His Father’s truth.

42 Jesus told them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, because I have come to you from God. I am not here on my own, but he sent me. 43 Why can’t you understand what I am saying? It’s because you can’t even hear me! 44 For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 So when I tell the truth, you just naturally don’t believe me! 46 Which of you can truthfully accuse me of sin? And since I am telling you the truth, why don’t you believe me? 47 Anyone who belongs to God listens gladly to the words of God. But you don’t listen because you don’t belong to God.”

Wow! Jesus just said that those who do not believe in the biblical truth are actually children of the devil who love doing the evil things that Satan loves. So lying is consistent with being a follower of the father of lies, Satan. Lies don’t come from Jesus who can’t lie or sin, so Satan is putting the words and thoughts into someone’s mind and mouth when they tell a lie.

Sadly, most lies usually have just enough truth in them to cause confusion and doubt. You have to tell some truth to sell a lie. This plays on Christians’ and American’s empathy, but a lie is always an inversion of the truth. That’s where our world is now while we watch the media lie, terrorists lie, politicians lie, and yes, our President lies and keeps on lying.

When confronted with the proof of bank records, text records, phone records, email records of his trail of corrupt lies, how does Biden respond? “Lies, lies, lies!” One reliable newscaster explained, “What else could he say to cover up his own lies? If he’s not going to confess to the truth, he has to keep on lying and call his accusers liars. That’s rich!”

No one should be surprised at what’s happened to our country under this presidency. If you’ve ever been around a pathological liar, as I have, you know they believe their own lies and think if they say them loud and long enough, you’ll believe them too. But like all liars, the truth eventually leads to their downfall unless they turn to Jesus and let the gospel truth set them free of the burden of sin. There will still be consequences to pay, and sadly we as a country are paying the price, but sincerely turning to Jesus and asking for forgiveness will be their eternal salvation even though there will be an earthly penalty.

The cultural battle we’re experiencing today is a replica of the spiritual battle taking place in the heavenlies. Jesus came to earth to die on a cross to save us from satanic evil. We know our role as Christians is to suit up in the armor of God and not give up or give in.

The Belt of Truth in the armor of God is the absolute truth that holds all the other parts of the armor of God (Eph. 6:10-18) together. When we don’t operate out of God’s Truth, we’re conceding to losing the spiritual and the cultural battle. Truth is more than information. God’s Word is the sword of the Spirit, but without the Belt of Truth, our sword falls at our side useless.

It is loving to speak God’s truth. Not in a mean-spirited way or beating someone over the head with the Scriptures, but when Satan confronted Jesus in the desert, the only response Jesus gave was to quote Scripture. But beware that Satan knows Scripture too and he always uses it for evil.

God’s Word is a weapon that the Holy Spirit will use to give life to the world, but we must know our Bible to use it and live by it effectively. Polls show that there are 28 million less Bible readers than a year ago!! I pray that doesn’t include you.

If there’s no truth there’s no conviction, no repentance, no salvation. If you know someone, like our president, who is living a lie . . ., tolerance, indulgence, or silence is not loving or kind.

You’ll never read in the Bible about Jesus tolerating sin. God was very specific in Romans 1:18-32 to outline exactly what God considers sin and His anger towards anyone who purposely sins. For those who choose to keep on sinning, He will turn them over to the life they’ve chosen and the resulting eternal consequences. He did NOT say it’s OK to keep on sinning and I’ll tolerate it. Neither should we tolerate it.

An Update on Our Battle for Truth in Our Local Library

On October 16, 2023, I wrote a blog Be Alert for Where and When the Lord Wants You to Get Involved! I talked about a group of us attending our local community library board meeting to address the obscene pornographic, sexually explicit, and alternate-lifestyle smut books targeted to children that the library now had on its shelves and online. Some gave testimonies of the horrific acts that occur when young minds are exposed to pornography. We all questioned and pointed out the immorality of these books and stressed the imperative need to protect innocent children from exposure to them in our public library.

 One young woman read graphic sections from one of the books, S.E.X. The All You Need to Know Progressive Guide to Get You Through Your Teens & Twenties. She wisely advised a mother who brought her two young children to the meeting to send them out of the room. The irony was that the mother did that and yet she was at the meeting to support keeping the books!

All of us who spoke against the books received a handwritten note in the mail from the Library Director thanking us for giving our “valuable time to stand up for your beliefs.” However, the public minutes of the November Library Board meeting read, “the Board praised the public on their very civil behavior at the meeting. Board discusses how they should respond to input. Kerri (the Library Director) suggests they draft a letter to send to each person who spoke in favor of censorship explaining the Board’s position as it pertains to the Collection Development Policy. Linda will write the letter and forward it to the lawyer for approval.” [emphasis added]

Not one of us called for “censorship,” but instead implored library leadership to take action to protect children from accessing the books in question. The use of the term “censorship” expresses the Board’s bias, not the truth. That’s how slanderous words convey and promote a lie.

Ironically, they also talked in the November board meeting about modifying the Board by-laws to only allow public input a few times a year instead of at each meeting. The hypocrisy is that they didn’t see this as censorship; however, apparently, they did decide to not change the by-laws.

The Obscenity Law defined by the Supreme Court says according to Miller v. California, 413 U.S. 15 (1973) “obscenity is to be determined by applying “contemporary community standards” not “national standards.” 

I’m requesting the board retract out of the minutes the inflammatory phrase “spoke in favor of censorship” to reflect the truth that we were local citizens concerned about inappropriate books targeted to children. I’m also praying for the members of this board who have been deceived into thinking exposing children to obscene pornography is culturally and civically appropriate.

Apparently, some of our group who spoke against the books have received the letter referred to in their minutes stating they plan to keep the books in the library! I haven’t received my letter yet, but I’m not giving up and I’m not giving in to moral bankruptcy in our little town. I suggest looking into what’s available to children in your local library also.

We cannot let our guard down or let lies live on. Christmas is about John 1:14, 17

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. John 1:14, 17

But never forget, especially during the celebration of the birth of our Lord and Savior . . .

Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8 NLT

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10 Ways to Share the Gift of Jesus This Christmas

If you go online and search lists of words that best characterize Christmas, you’ll find words like gifts, family, friends, decorations, busyness, happy, magical, celebration, dazzling, lights, baking, winter, shopping etc. Those are all appropriate words that apply to Christmas, but sadly when most people think of Christmas, they don’t think in biblical terms unless they’re Christians. Even some Christians busily preparing for Christmas don’t readily consider the foundational reason for Christmas. Instead, many first think of words that describe the commercial, cultural, and even secular aspects of Christmas.

Some people, like the Pro-terrorists-Hamas activists at New York City Rockefeller Center’s tree lighting ceremony, are suggesting that Christmas be canceled this year! How dare they? How quickly they forget that Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Jesus! Or could it be because Jesus was a Jew that’s exactly why they want it canceled?

Christmas is also a federal holiday formally recognized in the United States by the House of Representatives, the Senate, and President Ulysses S Grant who signed a bill designating Christmas into law as a legal holiday in 1870. It’s actually the only federal Christian holiday, even though it has become greatly secularized. So to even suggest Christmas be canceled, you know it’s the work of the enemy trying to deny the Christian celebration of our Lord and Savior’s birth, a Jew born in Judea in the city of Bethlehem.

Federal businesses have attempted to prohibit employees from showing any Christmas displays because “it might offend someone who doesn’t believe in Christmas.” Denying Christmas is offensive to me! It’s a weak excuse that should offend every Christian and be illegal.

Christmas is a federal holiday whether it offends someone or not. Post offices, banks, schools, federal offices close on Christmas. Secularists in schools now call Easter a “Spring break” and since it falls on Sunday, they’ve gotten away with minimizing the Christian significance. But not so with Christmas and we must not let them. Every employee in every business should be allowed to decorate their desk or work area for Christmas.

As we watch the Islamist countries joining against the tiny country of Jews in Israel, God’s chosen Holy Land, while activists and protesters threaten Jews in America, you can be sure that Christians are next. We must never bend or succumb to any attempts to change language or prohibit the public celebration of our Savior’s birth or His resurrection. Even though the Christmas tree isn’t biblical, it’s associated with Christmas even at the White House, so Christmas trees and manger scenes should be allowed in public places.

BTW—the heart of the word Christmas is Christ! The English term “Christmas” comes from the combination of the words “mass” and “Christ. Never forget that it’s CHRISTmas!

What Can Christians Do to Remind People of the True Meaning of Christmas?

Unfortunately, this year Christmas won’t be celebrated as usual in Bethlehem. The city’s municipality announced the traditional Christmas decorations and lights in Manger Square “will not be put up in an effort to show solidarity with those suffering in Gaza.” Bethlehem Pastor Stephen Khoury doesn’t agree with the decision. “So if they want to not do the light celebrations, that’s fine. I don’t like it, but it’s a decision. They’re not holding us back from doing prayer services and doing a Christian religious service. They’re not holding us back or stopping us from doing that.”

In a CBN article by Chris Mitchell, “As Christmas Decorations Go Dark in Bethlehem, Pastor Shines Light of Jesus with Tent Display,” Pastor Khoury outlined his plan to keep the focus of Christmas on Jesus. “So, here’s what we’re doing: where we tell people to let the lights go out, but let the light of Christ shine, let the decorations be taken down, but let the symbol of Christ’s promise be heard, and stand – what we’re doing in the month of December, and probably till the early January is, we’re going to set up a tent.”

 “We’re going to call it the nativity encounter Christmas tent, the Hope tent,” Khoury told us. This nativity encounter tent is, we’re going to get people to walk through this tent . . . And it’s a Bible discovery experience. And people can feel –touch something – dealing with what it would have looked like during Christ’s days in Bethlehem 2000 years ago. And they walk out the other side getting the message that the miracle has happened here.”

“We are bringing it back to ground zero and that the Christmas season, it’s about Jesus. He’s the reason for this season. And that’s what I plan to do throughout Christmas. And we invite the world to pray, to stand and to come volunteer with us at this tent,” he said.

That started me thinking about ways Christians could keep the focus on Jesus Christ this Christmas. I love how Samaritan’s Purse, who does the Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes, sends their teams to help in areas of crisis, disaster, and pandemics like Covid, always making it clear they’re helping and serving in the name of Jesus Christ as they share the Gospel wherever they go. Even the shoeboxes include the Gospel message.

How can we imitate a similar outreach as individuals this Christmas and openly share the true reason for Christmas, the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. His birthday should be a reminder of the reason He humbled Himself to come into the world as a baby to die on a cross to offer forgiveness and eternal life to you, me, and everyone who believes in Him.

Following are 10 ideas to share the gift of Christmas with others, remembering that helping others actually helps us. I’m sure you can think of more.

  • Give the Gift of Encouragement. Instead of writing letters to Santa, have children write letters to people who need encouragement this Christmas or include them in your Christmas card list. For example: military, first responders, police, medical staff, nursing home residents, or hospital patients. Be sure to include a Scripture or two from the biblical Christmas story.

So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing. 1 Thess. 5:11 NLT

  • Give the Gift of Hope. Adopt a disadvantaged family in your church or community. Bless them with Christmas presents like age-appropriate Bibles, Christian authored books, personal necessities, toys, or provide a special meal. Include a Gospel track* with the food and goodies. Ask if you can pray with them for any prayer requests.

I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance. Eph. 1:18 NLT

  • Give the Gift of Joy. Find simple ways to bring a smile to someone’s face during the Christmas season. For example, pay for the car behind you at a drive-through and give the cashier/server a Gospel track* to include with their order. Give an extra track to the server and be sure to leave a nice tip.

You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever. Ps. 16:11 NLT

  • Give the Gift of Kindness. Offer your time and energy to someone in need. Hang lights for an elderly neighbor or help decorate their house. Wrap presents for an overwhelmed new mom or someone recovering from an illness or surgery.

Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Col. 3:12 NLT

  • Give the Gift of Words. Speak words of affirmation and affection to your friends, family, customer service, waiters/waitresses, store employees . . . Take time to write a personal note in your Christmas cards or Christmas letter.

Kind words are like honey—sweet to the soul and healthy for the body. Pr. 16:24

  • Give the Gift of Faith. Read the biblical Christmas story with your family. If you read a chapter in the Book of Luke starting December 1, you’ll finish on Christmas Eve. You still have time to catch up. Look for opportunities to talk about what Christ’s birth means for your life today.

Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see. Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation. By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen. Heb. 11:1-3 NLT

  • Give the Gift of Peace. In the midst of the hustle and bustle of the season, and the unsettling news reports, set aside at least one “silent night” a week for the family to be home. Light a fire if you have a fireplace, curl up with cups of hot chocolate or tea, play worship Christmas music, and take a few moments to rest and reflect on the true meaning of Christmas.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27

  • Give the Gift of Hospitality. Invite someone to your home who may not have family close by or host a Christmas open house for your neighbors, friends, family, fellow workers, or Bible study group.

Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay. 1 Pet. 4:9 NLT

  • Give the Gift of Time. Help nursing home residents write Christmas letters and read the Christmas story to them from the Bible. Offer to baby-sit so busy parents can go on a date or Christmas shopping together. Spend a few hours volunteering at a shelter. Help with Christmas festivities or services at your church or community.

Serve one another humbly in love. Gal. 5:13

  • Give the Gift of Love. Presents under the tree won’t make you or anyone else happy for long, but the presence of Jesus will! The happiest Christians are evangelistic all the time, not just at Christmas. Engage people with the love of God.  

“Love is never wasted for its value does not rest upon reciprocity.” C.S. Lewis

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35

For this is how God loved the world: He gave[a] his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 NLT

That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, 10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” Luke 2:8-12 NLT

*You can purchase Gospel tracks from places like Christianbook.com, but I also found a Souls for Christ Ministry that offers free printable tracks to make yourself.

If you missed my November newsletter, the opening article is “An Urgent Message of Christmas” and includes my Christmas poem “Time to Sit with You.” Here’s the link.

Please leave a comment here and share your thoughts and ideas with others. I reply to every comment.

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Christmas Isn’t About a Tree; It’s About God’s Love

You may have read the title to this blog and said, “Of course, I know that!”

I love having my grandchildren help us decorate our Christmas tree and I especially enjoy the lights. Hubby puts the lights on a timer so they come on in the morning before I wake up and go off at night after I’m in bed. I wake up to our beautiful lit tree and enjoy it until I put my head on the pillow at night.

So this blog is not a discussion of whether or not Christians should have Christmas trees. As long as we’re not worshipping our tree but instead worshipping our Lord, Christmas trees bring joy and beauty to our festive celebration of the birth of Jesus.

What I do want to talk about is the recent trend by evil deranged people burning down Christmas trees. Several well-meaning media reporters equated the burning of the trees as an attack on Christians because Christmas is a Christian holiday. I think it’s a stretch to think the arsonists were going after Christianity, but I did appreciate that the newscasters were emphasizing that Christmas is a Christian celebration.

But at the same time, there was a subtle implication that Christmas trees signify a Christian Christmas. Burning down a Christmas tree is a sick twisted even satanic crime, but a decorated tree doesn’t represent our faith. Our faith is in the birth, death, and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

The Christmas I went through radiation for breast cancer, we didn’t have a Christmas tree. I didn’t have the energy to put one up, but we did set up a mini manger scene. A friend brought us some hay from the feed store, we laid a baby doll wrapped in a blanket on top of it and put stuffed animals all around. That’s where we placed our presents.

For years after, we set up the manger scene along with a Christmas tree. It helped display the real meaning of Christmas to the grandchildren and anyone who visited us.

Make no mistake, Christianity is under attack by the liberal secular cult of “wokeness,” and that is something we do need to be aware of and resist. It doesn’t usually present itself in the form of burning flames that we can visually see but in a new religion of man-made “social justice” rules founded on various groups’ definition of how we should live, not on how God and the Bible designed for us to live.

If we’re not careful, their “statement of woke faith” can begin to creep into our own thinking as we start using their language, terms, and subjecting ourselves to their atheistic beliefs, which oppose and reject God.

In an article “Where ‘woke’ came from and why marketers should think twice before jumping on the social activism bandwagon,” Andrew Sullivan was quoted on what he wrote about woke social awareness as an equal but opposing position to Evangelical Christianity:

And so the young adherents of the Great Awokening exhibit the zeal of the Great Awakening […] they punish heresy by banishing sinners from society or coercing them to public demonstrations of shame […] We have the cult of social justice on the left, a religion whose followers show the same zeal as any born-again Evangelical.

In an article by Jose Gomez, How Should Christians Respond to the Challenge of Wokeness, Gomez wrote, “secularization means ‘de-Christianization.’ For years now, there has been a deliberate effort in Europe and America to erase the Christian roots of society and to suppress any remaining Christian influences.

“In your program for this Congress, you allude to ‘cancel culture’ and ‘political correctness.’ And we recognize that often what is being cancelled and corrected are perspectives rooted in Christian beliefs — about human life and the human person, about marriage, the family, and more.

“In your society and mine, the ‘space’ that the Church and believing Christians are permitted to occupy is shrinking. Church institutions and Christian-owned businesses are increasingly challenged and harassed. The same is true for Christians working in education, health care, government, and other sectors. Holding certain Christian beliefs is said to be a threat to the freedoms, and even to the safety, of other groups in our societies.”

What Can Christians Do to Avoid Wokeness

1. Don’t use their terminology.

I heard Mario Murillo speaking on how Satan is using wokeness to infiltrate our language. The example he used was “transgender.” This is not a word or a concept we would find in the Bible, and we know it’s unbiblical because God only made male and female. He does not create anyone trans or gay. I would add fabricated terms like “gender fluidity” “gender identity” “nonbinary ” “gender confusion” again are words and concepts with no legitimate substance or credible meaning because our Creator God is not the God of confusion. If anyone is confused, where do we as Christians know they should turn? To God and the Bible.

Yet, we as Christians probably find ourselves falling into the trap of using the same language as the woke cult instead of confirming what we know to be true. Why would we do this when they certainly do not use our language in fact their mission is to destroy Christianity because we are anti everything they are for.­­­­

2. Share the Truth in Love

Christmas is a perfect time of year for Christians to proclaim loud and clear what we believe and know to be true: Jesus came into the world as a baby to be our Savior from the sin that so easily entangles us in this world. He came to call sinners, which is everyone, to repentance. He came to seek and save the lost and give His life as a ransom for all who would believe in Him.

With love and joy we can share that Good News. We pray for those who are lost because we know that all things are possible with God. We don’t enable sin but help the broken and broken-hearted to find healing.

We’re never ashamed of what we believe, we don’t compromise or succumb to the world’s ways or give credence to their misconceptions and misguidedness. We pray that God will give us wisdom to live for Him in every area of our life. When people encounter us, they should see the pure love of God. Our every action, thought, and response motivated by love because God is love and God lives in us.

We celebrate CHRISTmas boldly, bravely, and broadly whether or not we put up a Christmas tree. We love our neighbor, praise God for forgiving our sins, and prepare for the imminent Day of His return. Christmas is God’s answer to the Fall. Christmas is redemption. Jesus came to earth to show us the way of love. The Devil can’t manifest in the presence of God’s love.

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

17 This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. 1 John 4:7-12, 17

Here is another interesting article about Christians and wokeness. How Should Christians Think About “Wokeness”? (frc.org)

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We Will NEVER Cancel Christmas!

And Nehemiah continued, “Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!” Nehemiah 8:10 NLT

We’ve just experienced a Thanksgiving like no other. Mayors, Governors, and local authorities were threatening fines and even imprisonment if there were too many people gathered around dinner tables.

Some “dictators” gave tirades telling us to cancel a holiday that focused on giving thanks to God for the blessings we continue to enjoy, even while these tyrants are actively trying to restrict our freedoms.

I hope you found a way to enjoy Thanksgiving with the ones you love and care about, and most importantly, with the One who gave us life and provisions.

Now we see the next surge of politicians trying to get us to cancel Christmas!

Naught!

Please join me in agreeing that’s not going to happen on our watch!

No one can cancel Jesus. No one can eliminate the celebration of His birth. Many have tried, but none succeeded and they won’t this year either!

Maybe your Christmas will look a little different and you won’t have the usual parties or travel, but Christmas is going to happen on December 25!

We need to let the world know our Savior is having a birthday.

We must celebrate Christmas for the same reason it’s been celebrated for 2020 years . . .

 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. John 3:16 NLT

The government tried to mess with the birth of Jesus 2020 years ago too when Joseph and Mary had to leave home and travel to Bethlehem for a census. That must have been frustrating for Mary nine months pregnant. Then to have no place to sleep except in a smelly stable when her water broke and she knew her time had come.

Talk about inconvenient. Not your typical birth. Not what Mary planned or dreamed about, but no government edict could stop her baby boy from coming into this world just as God planned.

And no government edict is going to stop us from joyfully celebrating the birth of the Savior of the world, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

In fact, Christmas should have even more meaning to us this year as we realize how close we’ve come to losing something we’ve always taken for granted: worshipping Jesus in our church. I’m so happy to see pastors fighting back over this injustice and not giving up until they reach the Supreme Court, where last week there was a victory.

People need the joy of the Lord right now and Christians are the Lord’s ambassadors to a world that is trying with all its might to go dark. To deem good evil and evil good. To take away people’s free will and force them into bondage with threats of jail if they don’t submit and obey, even for simply leaving their home.

I’m going to make one rant point here—none of the people indiscriminately reeling these mandates are basing their rulings on science! The science does not substantiate them. They’re desperate and see a chance to grab power like they’ve never been able to lord over people before.

California is a perfect example. If the ridiculous forced lockdowns, closures of businesses, and mask mandates, rules, rules, rules were working, why are cases going up. Why would their Governor break all his own rules to eat in a small room in a pricey restaurant with no mask and no social distancing with a group of “health officials” if he (and they) thought the mandates were effective?

It’s not just hypocrisy, it’s power gone insanely out of control.

7 Ways to Experience a Joyful 2020 Christmas Season

Christians need to counter the insanity of the world right now with a vocal, joyful, and purposeful approach to Christmas this year.

Here are a few ways we’re keeping normalcy and focus in our Christmas, and please let me know what you’re doing.

1. Wish everyone you meet in person or on the phone a “Merry Christmas” or a “Blessed Christmas.”

2. Play Christian Christmas music in your home, phone, and car.

3. Put up decorations that signify the Christmas spirit to you even if you’re not having parties or guests. It brings normalcy to the season and your soul. If you have children or grandchildren, they need to know the scrooge of COVID or election fraud is not going to change Christmas at your house.

4. If you typically string lights outside, or inside, hang those lights. I love Christmas lights and hubby puts them on a timer so they’re on when I wake up in the morning and after I go to bed at night.

5. If you enjoy baking Christmas goodies, then by all means, fire up the oven and start baking.

6. Remember those who are living alone or elderly. Discover ways to brighten their lives.

7. Spend more time with Jesus. Start everyday reading the Christmas story from the Book of Matthew or Luke or in a Christmas devotional. It helps focus the day’s activities around the ONLY reason we celebrate Christmas. It reminds us that Jesus doesn’t want us stressed or in a frenzy.

Jesus came into the world for one reason, to offer those who believe in Him eternal life, not to add a burden to our life but to lighten our load: “Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. Isaiah 41:10 NLT

T’was the month of Christmas,
And all through the town,
People wore masks,
That covered their frown.


The frown had begun
Way back in the Spring,
When a global pandemic
Changed everything.

Airplanes were grounded,
Travel was banned.
Borders were closed
Across air, sea, and land.


As the world entered lockdown
To flatten the curve,
The economy halted,
And folks lost their nerve.


From March to July
We rode the first wave,
People stayed home,
They tried to behave.


When summer emerged
The lockdown was lifted.
But away from caution,
Many folks drifted.


Now it’s December
And cases are spiking,
Wave two has arrived,
Much to our disliking.


It’s true that this year
Has had sadness a plenty,
We’ll never forget
The year 2020.


And just ‘round the corner –
The holiday season,
But why be merry?
Is there even one reason?


To decorate the house
And put up the tree,
Who will see it,
No one but me.

But outside my window
The snow gently falls,
And I think to myself,
Let’s deck the halls!


So, I gather the ribbon,
The garland and bows,
As I play those old carols,
My happiness grows.


Christmas is not cancelled
And neither is hope.
If we lean on each other,
I know we can cope.

So open your Bible
And read the timeless story
Of a baby’s birth, so eventful,
When God came down to earth in humble glory!

(Adapted, edited, and enhanced from an Anonymous poem)

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When God Surprises You!

When God Surprises You!

I love it when God reminds me how many good people there are in the world when it seems the negative ones are vying for all the attention and recognition.

On Saturday morning, I spent over an hour on the phone with an Amazon account representative who was kind, helpful, and patient. When he did eventually solve the issue, I exclaimed, “Bless you!”

As we were saying goodbye, I wished him a Merry Christmas. He chuckled, which is often the response I receive when the other person isn’t quite sure what to say back to me. So you can imagine my surprise when he wished me and my family a very Merry Christmas and then the biggest surprise of all . . . he boldly said, “God bless you.”

Quickly overcoming my shock before he hung up, I said, “God bless you too Bill.” By then we were on a first name basis. We chatted a little longer as two fellow believers would do. When we finally said goodbye, I was beaming.

What had been a grueling stressful problem I didn’t want to deal with early on a Saturday morning was God’s way of reassuring me that with all the misrepresentation in the media of Evangelical Christians and many Christians falling away from the Truth in the Bible, God doesn’t want me to lose heart or become discouraged.

He wants me to let my light shine for all to see (or hear) no matter the circumstances. Share God’s love with everyone I meet or talk too. Be a brave, bold believer tempered with love.

I can’t say that’s always me. In another phone call the night before my conversation with Bill, I became frustrated with a customer service manager for another company who repeatedly told me there was nothing he could do about my order after it left the warehouse four weeks ago!!! I lost my temper and hung up on him.

After I cooled down, I felt the Holy Spirit asking me how Christian was I in that call? I wasn’t a good representative at all. I was justifiably upset with his lack of concern and his companies poor handling of my order, but my response wasn’t appropriate either. My packages still aren’t going to get here before Christmas.

God surprised the world when He sent His Son Jesus to earth as a baby 2019 years ago, and we don’t know when He is coming back. It’s a surprise! Maybe while you’re reading this post. I hope you’re ready. But are the people God is putting in your and my path ready? That should be our burden.

This is the season
To share the reason
The Thompson’s are in love
With their Savior above.
There once was a time
We thought we were fine.
No help did we need.
In control, ‘Yes indeed!’
The world had our mind,
And we were blind.
We knew God and His Son
But we were on the run.
Jobs, money, and things
Is what made our hearts sing.
But enough was never enough
And stuff was still just stuff.
Nothing filled the hole
We each felt in our soul.
Times of hopeless tears
For all the lost years.
What was the meaning of it all?
Was life only about survival?
What would happen when we died?
What legacy did we provide?
Why were we here?
Was it just a career?
What was our purpose?
Why had God made us?
Our answer was so near;
The Christmas story made clear.
Blinders falling from our eyes.
Each of us with changed lives.
Jesus came unto the earth
So we might have a rebirth.
A forgiveness gift that’s free.
Just fall on bended knee.
Ask Jesus into your heart,
That is where you start.
Admit you’ve made mistakes,
That’s all it takes.
Those of you who know this joy,
Coming from One Baby Boy,
Remember it is only fair,
That you now also share.
The Good News is what we tell,
And oh we know it very well.
It’s in the Bible on your shelves,
Jesus saves us from ourselves.
A familiar story over 2000 years old;
And you must be so very bold.
Proclaim the timeless reason
For this blessed CHRISTmas season!
Janet Thompson 12/1/2000

 

Picture by Sean Ferigan@seanferiganphotography

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Christmas Can Be The Loneliest Time of the Year

Christmas, The Loneliest Time of the Year

“If we are going to touch the people of our communities, we too must know their sorrows, feel for them in their temptations, stand with them in their heartbreaks.” Billy Graham

Loneliness might not be a topic that seems appropriate in this “Happiest-time-of-the-year” season filled with parties, joyful music, fun, family, gifts, food, jingle bells, presents, Christmas programs, cantatas, and plays. Maybe it’s not even something you feel like reading about right now . . . unless you are lonely or you know someone who isn’t happy or joyful. Not invited to parties, programs, and plays. Not having fun. Sad, depressed, despondent, and yes, lonely.

[Tweet “Being alone for a little while isn’t the same as lonely. There are times when we all want to have some alone time.”]

Being alone for a little while isn’t the same as lonely. There are times when we all want to have some alone time. I like to have my quiet time in the morning by myself. Just the Lord and me. Recently, my young granddaughter, who had just experienced a meltdown, said she needed some alone time to recover. When I’m writing, I need complete silence so I have to be alone in my office, just my computer and me. But these “alone times” are by choice, and we know that when we’re ready to come out of our “I want to be alone” cave, we can be social again.

Even Jesus needed to have alone time,

“But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” Luke 5:16

You don’t have to be alone to be lonely.

I’m sure that Jesus experienced loneliness when His family and disciples misunderstood and misrepresented Him. Or those who were supposed to be His followers and friends betrayed Him. We can’t fathom the depth of His loneliness on the cross when even His Heavenly Father had to forsake Him.

We can experience loneliness in a crowd.

Maybe you don’t feel like you fit in. Or everyone else seems to know each other and you’re new. Or you’re single or widowed and there’s couples everywhere you look. Maybe it’s sitting by yourself in church or a school lunchroom.

Perhaps, you’re not comfortable with yourself anywhere, anytime.

I’m using “You” generically. Not a literal you, but a universal you. Or maybe it is you.

Christmas loneliness is especially raw . . .

Spiritually—When you don’t know this Jesus everyone is talking about born in a manger; or you do know about Him but haven’t gotten to know Him personally. Maybe you’re a Christian but not living a life Jesus would approve of so you’re trying to keep your distance from Him and the warmth of having Him nestled in your heart. Or you love Jesus passionately and know you’re never really alone, but at this time of year, you’re lonely. You need Jesus with skin on.

Physically—There’s no one to exchange gifts or celebrate with or you can’t make it home for Christmas. No invitations for Christmas dinner, or it’s not your year with the kids. Maybe your loved one is deployed, or you’re ill and you just want the pain to stop.

Emotionally—You’re grieving a loss. The first Christmas without a loved one. Waking up to an empty house or an empty heart. It’s been a hard year. You’re sad and the last thing you want to do is be around joyous people and put on a happy face.

Mentally—You’re depressed. Memories of past happier Christmases torment you as you’re inundated with all the Christmas trappings shouting that this is the best time of year. You want to shout back, and maybe you do in an inappropriate way. Or maybe you just try to numb the pain with pills or alcohol or food or ______________.

There are so many other reasons for loneliness, but this time of year magnifies each one, and probably if we’re honest, we’ve all felt the twinges of loneliness at some time in our life.

If You Are the Lonely One This Year

[Tweet “Make a plan. Don’t let Christmas loneliness engulf you this year.”]

My blogs are read by a diverse group of people and maybe as you read this one, tears started rolling down your face because I’m describing you. Make a plan. Don’t let Christmas loneliness engulf you. Here are some suggestions:

  • Volunteer to serve somewhere in the community on Christmas eve or Christmas day or both.
  • Offer to work for a fellow employee so they can be with their family.
  • Visit a nursing home, hospital, or the elderly and play games or read the Christmas story to them or watch a Christmas movie together.
  • Accept invitations from friends and family.
  • Find others at church who don’t have plans and go out to dinner and a movie together or have a potluck.

If you’re depression and sadness don’t lift, reach out for help.

Here are toll free 24 hour confidential prayer lines to call and talk with prayer counselors who will pray with you.

The 700 Club 1-800-759-0700

Global Destiny Prayer Center 1-888-935-8100

TBN Prayer and Praise Line 1-888-731-1000

DAYSTAR 1-800-329-0029

BREAKTHROUGH 1-800-424-8644

We All Have a Story.

I remember one Christmas when I was a single mom and had to share holidays with my daughter’s dad. I was a Registered Dietitian at a hospital and had to work on Christmas day. So my daughter and I celebrated Christmas Eve, but when I came home to an empty house after work on Christmas Day, tears of loneliness burst into sobs. I vowed to never work on Christmas Day again, and I didn’t.

[Tweet “Do you know someone who is lonely and as you read this blog, the Lord is tugging at your heart to invite that person to join your Christmas festivities.”]

Maybe you know someone who is lonely and as you read this blog, the Lord is tugging at your heart to invite that person to join your Christmas festivities. Yes, inviting him or her to Christmas Eve services might be a start, but remember they might still feel lonely in your familiar place. Introduce them to your friends, but keep the focus on your guest or guests and then include them in what you’re doing after church.

Dave and I enjoy going to dinner with elderly couples we know who have no one to celebrate with on Christmas Eve. Over the years, the group has gotten smaller as some have passed away or aren’t able to participate. Several years, it’s been pizza at one of their homes when they can’t come out on a snowy night. It’s become a cherished tradition for us and each year is a little different depending on where these couples are physically and mentally.

[Tweet “What is God asking you to do right now to extend Christ’s love and hospitality to those who are lonely this Christmas?”]

What is God asking you to do right now to extend Christ’s love and hospitality to those who are lonely this Christmas? You might even save a life.

When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality. Romans 12:13 NLT

God places the lonely in families. Psalm 68:8a NLT. Maybe in your family!

If you received this blog by email, please leave a comment here.

Photo by Anthony Tran on Unsplash

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The World Is Playing Our Songs!

They're playing Christmas music

Even before Halloween, did you notice Christmas music floating through sound systems in stores, public bathrooms, restaurants, coffee shops, malls, and on your radio . . . . Granted much of it is secular, but you also hear Silent Night, Joy to the World, It Came Upon a Midnight Clear, The First Noel, Oh Little Town of Bethlehem, Mary Did You Know? and so many others.

Yes, they’re playing “our” songs!

[Tweet “We know that marketing advertisers use background sounds to indoctrinate us into thinking a certain way.”]

We know that marketing advertisers use background sounds to indoctrinate us into thinking a certain way. If you didn’t know that, they do. After hearing a product jingle over and over, we might start singing it ourselves or we recognize that it’s plugging a particular product. I’ve actually looked at a product on the grocery shelf and said to myself, or even to someone standing next to me, that I’ve heard about this somewhere. I might even pick it up to examine further, when I otherwise would probably walk right past it.

Well, is it possible that without realizing it shoppers and diners who are out and about this Christmas season are subliminally hearing about Jesus through background music?! And maybe they too will be enticed to want to learn more about the lyrics they’ve been hearing for months. When invited to a Christmas program or church service and they hear a message on the birth of Jesus and the real Gift at Christmas, they might think, I’ve heard that somewhere before!

[Tweet “God works in mysterious ways even through the secular culture.”]

God works in mysterious ways even through the secular culture. So the next time you’re in a mall or grocery store and you hear one of “our songs” on the sound system, start singing along just loud enough for people around you to hear and notice. Hey, if people can walk around with their cell phones on speaker while they shop, you can sing a song about the Baby who could save their life!

PS

If you’re starting to panic and feel a bit overwhelmed when you receive emails telling you time is running out to checkoff all the to-dos on your list and it’s only December 9, you’ll appreciate a blog I wrote for Crosswalk The Top 10 Ways to Avoid Christmas Burnout. Here’s #1 just to get you started.

  1. Let your calendar be your activity guide.

First, schedule normal activities: work, school, exercise, sleep, church—and most importantly—daily quiet time with the Lord.

Next, note events like children’s programs, rehearsals, family/work/church gatherings.

Then, schedule time for shopping, wrapping, baking, decorating.

As new invitations arrive, decline kindly any on the same days and times as those already on your calendar. Limit your holiday outings to one night a week or two extra events each weekend.

Read 9 more . . .

After you read the Crosswalk article, comment below and let me know which of the 10 ways resonated most with you.

If you received this blog by email, leave a comment here.

Photo by Benjamin Cruz from Pexels

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Why Say “A Joyous Noel” this Christmas?

Why should we wish a Joyous Noel?
As you can see in the picture I’ve progressed from a cast to a brace on my broken wrist and am now in physical therapy. So I hope to be back with my Monday Morning Blogs soon after the New Year. I’ll have to admit this has been a harsh ending to 2018. Thanksgiving weekend we had a septic overflow in out basement apartment and it’s gutted. So we’re starting the New Year with reconstruction down there. There’s even more, but I’ll spare you the details right now. I’m sure the Lord will give me many future opportunities to write about all that I’ve learned and endured.

I didn’t want to end this year without sharing a Christmas message with you and telling you how much I appreciate you following my blogs every week. And I love hearing back from those of you who leave comments.

If you receive my monthly About His Work Newsletter, you may have already read my Joyous Noel article but if you haven’t read it yet, I pray it blesses you . . . maybe even to read it again.

 A Joyous Noel

Why Say a Joyous Noel This Christmas?

At Christmas time, one of the beloved carols we sing is “The First Noel.” Like me, you’ve probably sang the words without giving much thought to the meaning of Noel. We know an angel first said it to the shepherds on a cold winter’s night. So what prompted them to get up and head to Bethlehem and what does Noel have to do with the familiar Christmas story? Our pastor answered that question as he challenged us to say a “Joyous Noel” when we would usually say “Merry Christmas.”

In old English and French, noel means “news,” “announcement,” or “Christmas.” The Latin natalis, means “birth.” Since Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Christ, the angels who then joined the glorious chorus above the lowly shepherds were honoring them as the first to hear the announcement of the birth of the Savior, “the first noel.”

For more history, you can go to What is the Meaning of Noel? I love this quote: “The message of the song is the joyous pronouncement that the King of Israel has been born. When we sing the song or wish someone a joyous noel, we are following the example of the angels, announcing the good news that Jesus Christ was born, not just for Israel, but for all mankind, so we could receive forgiveness of sins through Him.”

So why did our pastor encourage us to say “A Joyous Noel” this year? Because just like the shepherds who,  After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished(Luke 2:17-18), this greeting will help us tell the meaning of Christmas and the Good News to everyone we meet. When people respond with, “What did you say?” we have the opportunity to explain the meaning of noel.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m so glad the socially correct police are no longer attacking “Merry Christmas,” but isn’t it true that we can get a little too comfortable with this greeting now. It doesn’t really challenge us to tell more of the Christmas story. I like to say, have a “Blessed Christmas,” but I think “A Joyous Noel” could become my new greeting.

That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior-yes, the Messiah, the Lord-has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”

Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others-the armies of heaven-praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in highest heaven,  and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.” Luke 2:8-14 NLT

A Joyous Noel and a Blessed New Year,

About His Work,

Janet and Dave

 

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5 Ways to a Fresh Start in the New Year

God's grace is how I find 5 ways to a fresh start in the New Year

First, let me extend to each of you a Blessed 2018! We’re only one week into the New Year, and I’ll admit I already want the year to slow down. I always feel that way as I watch January slip away and the exhilaration of starting a fresh new year morph into an overwhelming “there’s so much to do” feeling.

If you’re like me, I relax during the week between Christmas and New Year’s and enjoy a rest from activities leading up to Christmas. I don’t take my decorations or lights down till after the New Year because I still enjoy reflecting on the past year and the warmth of Christmas lights. Every year it seems the month of December just goes a little too fast, even though we put the tree up the weekend after Thanksgiving!

Some of you prefer to move past Christmas quickly and take everything down the next day or week. I’ve seen many on social media say that it feels good to have the house back to normal after what can sometimes feel cluttered with the trappings of Christmas. You’re ready for a fresh start in your home and the new year.

I have to admit that while I’m writing this note to you on January 5, I haven’t taken down one decoration yet, and my heart is a little sad and reminiscent as I consider putting it all away tomorrow for another year. Maybe those like me aren’t quite ready to bring closure to 2017’s Christmas memories

We each have our own way of ending one year and moving on to the next; but ready or not, 2018 is here!

[Tweet “We each have our own way of ending one year and moving on to the next; but ready or not, 2018 is here!”]

Five Ways to a Fresh Start in the New Year!

Aside from taking down Christmas decorations, here are five ways that help me get a fresh start in the New Year. Maybe some of what I do and the reasons why I do them will help you too!

  1. Priority one for me is to pray about how God wants me to commune with Him in a fresh new way. For a number of years, I’ve started January reading the Bible in a year. To keep it new and fresh, I choose a different translation and reading plan each year and even read the Chronological Bible one year. Every time I do this, the Lord reveals new insights and speaks to me through His Word in ways I hadn’t seen before, even in familiar verses. I love how His Word is new every morning.
  2. I start a yearly devotional to accompany my Bible reading program for the year. This year I’m reading Women of the Bible: A One Year Devotional Study by Ann Spangler & Jean E. Syswerda, which also doubles as research for writing my new book Get Your Brave On! I also asked for Christmas The Believer’s Code: 365 Devotions to Unlock the Blessings in God’s Word by O.S. Hawkins. Sometimes I’ll pull one of my previous devotionals off the bookshelf to read again because I see the authors’ thoughts in a new and fresh way depending on what’s happening in my life or maybe what book or article I’m writing.
  3. Yes, I do set goals, rather than resolutions. Goals seem more positive to me, and I like to frame my aspirations as doable. I’m more goal oriented than resolution motivated. According to Wikipedia’s definitions . . .

Resolution is a firm decision to do or not to do something.

Goal is the object of a person’s ambition or effort; an aim or desired result. The destination of a journey. (I especially like thinking of my goals as a journey to a destination.)

[Tweet “I especially like thinking of my goals as a journey to a destination”]

Our wedding anniversary is December 19, a perfect time for us to set new yearly goals for our marriage, and I set personal goals for the upcoming year. I write these in my One Year Walk With God devotional, which I’ve read so many times it’s literally falling apart.

Sometimes previous year’s goals carry over to the next year, and the next year . . . I don’t feel condemnation, just a fresh motivation to achieve them in the upcoming years. It’s important to set achievable realistic goals: not so high we give up, or too easy we don’t stretch.

On Facebook many have asked if anyone sets New Year’s resolutions and often the answer was no because they don’t want to break them or be disappointed. However, I did see a few setting goals. Progress doesn’t happen without a goal and a plan to achieve it. We never succeed at what we don’t try. I hope I’m encouraging you to set some goals for 2018. I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

[Tweet “Progress doesn’t happen without a goal and a plan to achieve it. We never succeed at what we don’t try.”]

  • Do you set resolutions or goals each year? Why or why not?
  • What’s one goal you kept that changed your life?
  • What area of your life has God asked you to surrender to Him in the new year?

[Tweet “Progress doesn’t happen without a goal and a plan to achieve it. We never succeed at what we don’t try.”]

If the Lord does lead you to set new goals, or work on last year’s goals, refer to them regularly during the year and pray asking God’s guidance on where He wants your focus to fulfill His purpose for your life.

[Tweet “If the Lord does lead you to set goals for the New Year, or work on last year’s goals, refer to them regularly during the year and pray asking God’s guidance.”]

  1. Stay in the Moment—this is probably the hardest one for me. We all need a bit of forward thinking and planning, but I tend to let my mind race ahead to all that must be done in the future, which distracts me from what I need to do today. I watch with dread as the days of the month slip by and I don’t feel like I’ve accomplished enough. My husband is always reminding me not to worry, but trust God with the details. Can I hear an Amen?!
  2. When plans and goals get sidelined! 2017 was an extremely difficult year for me, as many of you know. Nothing I could have expected or planned to happen. On Christmas day 2016, I fell and started 2017 with staples in my head and a concussion, which left a continual ringing in my ears that God has not chosen to remove. Just as the concussion was subsiding, I had a horrific side effect to a medication and had bladder and kidney surgery that downed me for two months. Then in the fall, I had cataract surgery in both eyes that was supposed to be a “piece of cake!” But I had a reaction to the eye drops, and one of my new lenses has shifted, so I’ll be having another surgery on January 16 to rotate it back in place.

My plans to write the next book were “sidelined.” But in the midst of all the pain and setbacks, God birthed Mentoring for All Seasons: Sharing Life Experiences and God’s Faithfulness and blessed me with an amazing launch team and caring compassionate editor who understood when I couldn’t meet all the editing deadlines after the kidney surgery.

Then to my surprise and delight, I was offered an opportunity to be on the teaching staff at Mount Hermon Christian Writer’s Conference in March 2018! Mount Hermon is where I learned to write and I’m honored and humbled by this invitation.

[Tweet “Ask God for forgiveness and grace for last year’s mistakes and blunders,”]

My point is that even when the year doesn’t go like you expect or want, trust God to meet His expectations and purpose for you and let Him turn what seems so bad into good. Ask God for forgiveness and grace for last year’s mistakes and blunders, and set a new goal of living for Christ and His ways in the new year. Be sure and give Him all the glory for the things He has done in and through you, no matter how it turns out.

[Tweet “Give God all the glory for the things He has done in and through you, no matter how it turns out.”]

And that’s really how to start fresh and stay fresh every day of every new year: Establish a fresh new perspective on our relationship with God who knows our future and reminds us that our eternity is with Him!

I know I’ve probably left some important things I do off this list, but a fresh start for 2018 is achievable for all of us. Won’t you share in the comments what helps you feel motivated and enthused with the prospect of a new year!? Often the first step is telling someone else.

5 ways to a Fresh Start in the New Year helps focus on what's really important in 2018!

PS I’m still receiving stories of God calling on you to be brave or do something you couldn’t do without Him. Contact me for more information.

If you received this blog by email, please leave a comment here.

*Opening graphic courtesy of Our Daily Bread which I subscribe to and read daily.

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Unity Only Comes Through the Prince of Peace

Jesus the Prince of Peace is the only answer to world peace!

This will be my last Monday Morning Blog for 2017 since Christmas and New Year’s Day falls on Monday this year. I hope you’ll be enjoying those Mondays and not spending time on electronics! So I wanted to close out the year with a Christmas poem I wrote December 2001, three months after 9/11. With all the unrest and fear in our nation today about North Korea and terrorist attacks again, I thought this poem was still appropriate.

[Tweet “Everyone is looking for “someone” who will bring lasting peace and justice to our world, but that will never happen through a mere human.”]

Everyone is looking for someone or something to bring lasting unity, peace, and justice to our world, but that will never happen through mere human efforts. Just like one human or one thing doesn’t cause division and injustice in our world.

[Tweet “One human doesn’t cause division in our world.”]

Sin causes division in people groups, “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” (Romans 3:23 NLT)

[Tweet “Sin causes division in people groups,”]

Only Jesus can restore unity.

Sing along with Petra in this YouTube video, “When Will the World See That We Need Jesus?

http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlFVVXqrs6U

“For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us.” (Ephesians 2:14 NLT)

[Tweet “Only Jesus can bring about truth and peace. He is the Prince of Peace!”]

Remember that true peace is found in only One Person (Luke 2:8-14) and Truth and Justice (John 14:6) is fulfilled in that same Person, the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ.

For a child is born to us,
a son is given to us.
The government will rest on his shoulders.
And he will be called:
Wonderful Counselor,[a] Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6 NLT)

CHRISTMAS POEM 2001

Never Forget 9-11

 

We call on You in times of trouble,

Some sense to make amongst the rubble.

But as the ashes form a heap,

Normal life is what we seek.

 

‘Oh My God,’ is soon replaced

With don’t put Jesus in our face.

Prayers once heard throughout the land,

Now return to being banned.

 

God displayed on screen and lawn,

Soon will fade into a yawn.

A cycle repeated year after year,

As the final trumpet call draws near.

 

A Babe was born on Christmas day,

So you and I could be saved.

What will it take for all to heed,

Jesus Christ is all we need.

 

Lord, help us gathered in Your sight,

Make a difference in this plight.

Give us boldness to proclaim,

Peace on earth is why You came!

Janet Thompson  12/11

This was the note that went along with the poem my husband and I sent out Christmas 2011. Like the poem, it’s still applicable to our times today!

Reading Chapter 5 of Isaiah inspired this poem. Our small group is [was] doing a Bible study titled “ISAIAH: Trusting God in Troubled Times.”* Amazing how the book of Isaiah in the Bible parallels the world’s happenings today! No one could have forecasted the events of our times more accurately than God, the Creator of our world. We encourage you to read the book of Isaiah.

With so much talk about survival kits and what to do in an emergency, we can tell you from our experience, the only survival kit for anything that will ever happen in your life and our world is all found in one place—the Bible. Is a modern translation on your Christmas list?

Do you know someone who needs a Survival Kit for Christmas? Are you wondering what to get that hard person to buy for on your list? Do them a favor that could save their life—buy them God’s Survival Kit and manual for life—the Holy Bible.

[Tweet “Are you wondering what to get that hard person to buy for on your list? Do them a favor that could save their life”]

Our prayer is that your Christmas focuses on Christ and relationships more than ever before! That you experience the peace, joy, and hope that comes from personally knowing the Babe in the manger. He’s all grown up now and so in love with you. Celebrate each day of life as a gift from Him, and in return, give Jesus Christ the gift of your life.

Merry Christmas and Happy Blessed New Year, Janet and Dave Thompson

*Isaiah: Trusting God in Troubled Times by Howard Peskett; Inter Varsity Press  A LifeGuide Bible Study

*Picture shared from Church of God of Prophecy

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