And His Name Will Be Immanuel
“But the Lord will still give you proof. A virgin is pregnant; she will have a son and will name him Immanuel”—Isaiah 7:14 (CEV). When I was born in 1953, my parents named me Carol Ann. I disliked my name for a long time. I considered it plain vanilla. Not even a squirt of chocolate syrup could make it more palatable for my tastes. Even adding an “e” to the end to spell Carole would have made it more acceptable in my eyes. According to different websites, the name Carol means “free person,” or “song” and is of English origin. …
Let Jesus Write Your To-Do List
“Jesus Christ came from the family of King David and also from the family of Abraham. And this is a list of his ancestors”—Matthew 1:1(CEV). Some of us like making a to-do list. Many of us are so rigid about our lists, we can’t function without one. That was me until I let Jesus take control of my life. Others might fly by the seat of their pants, but without my daily list, I was lost. I still make lists, but I’m more flexible now. It was a process of letting go of the need to be in control and …
Jesus Seeks and Saves the Lost
“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost”—Luke 19:10 (ESV). Looking for my spare house key recently, I’d almost given up hope of finding the lost item. In a hurry, I really didn’t want to take the time to have another spare made. Searching through my kitchen junk drawer, which is partially organized, I came across a slew of keys. If I’d taken the time to label them in the first place, I wouldn’t have been overwhelmed. Comparing the keys to my original, I tried to find a match. Some came close but when I …
Putting Joy Back in the Christmas Holidays
“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit”—Romans 14:17(NIV). If you ask any American child what he likes about Christmas, you will probably hear the same answer. In their excitement, most would probably shout the word “presents” or “toys.” Ask any harried parent what he likes about Christmas and you’d get a different answer. You would get even another viewpoint if you asked retailers. The holiday season is upon us. Although the advertising blitz has been going on for a few months—or at least it …
Exercising Your Gratitude Muscles
“Sing to God with gratitude in your hearts. Whatever you do, whether in speech or action, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus and give thanks to God the Father through him”—Colossians 3:16c-17(CEB). Thanksgiving will look different this year for most of us. Large family gatherings are discouraged because of the pandemic. Others have lost loved ones to this virus, leaving an empty seat at the table. Family traditions, such as going around the Thanksgiving table, and expressing gratitude for something or someone, may be more difficult. We might be asking, “Where is the light at the …
Trusting God During Tough Times
“Surely the righteous will never be shaken; they will be remembered forever. They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord”— Psalm 112:6-7(NIV). Has the bad news in 2020 left you fearful? Tested your faith? Left you worried about tomorrow? This year has been tougher than others for most people, at least in my lifetime. While 2007 was a tough year for my family—the unexpected loss of my father, almost losing my oldest son to an accident, and my own hospitalization because of a dog attack—there is no comparison to this year’s chaos. …
Kindness Wins According to God’s Mercy
“But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we had done, but according to His mercy, through the water of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. This Spirit He poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by His grace, we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life”—Titus 3:4-7(NIV). If Jesus hadn’t gotten ahold of me almost 20 years ago, there might have been a fight yesterday. But, since He never gave up on …
Grace: The Greatest Gift from Above
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast”—Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV). When someone gives you an unexpected gift, how do you react? For example, if someone blesses me with a Christmas present, and I have nothing for them in return, I feel the need to reciprocate. I apologize and then rush to purchase a gift in return. At least that’s what I did in the past. I didn’t feel worthy unless I could respond to their kindness. Reciprocating with …
When Your Burdens Are Too Heavy
“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest”—Matthew 11:28 (NIV). In my late 60s, I’m not as strong as I used to be. However, through exercise, I’m working toward improving my physical strength. My exercise is not as intense as it once was. I’ve had to downsize the amount I can lift with my hand weights. I don’t want to injure my body by overdoing it. As we age, our bodies don’t bounce back as quickly after an injury. The burdens of an aging body change our lifestyles. It …