The Crossroads

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." -- Jeremiah 29:11

Lately I have been dealing with a lot of unknowns in my life. As I consider the options that God has placed before me, I know that I must be wise and keenly attuned to his voice so that I don't go in the wrong direction. Some days I grow impatient waiting on a word of instruction from him or the answer to my specific prayers. He has placed me in the position of having to trust in him and not lean on my own understanding. I know that as I acknowledge him, he will make my path straight (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Knowing God's Word gives us great comfort and reassurance as we navigate the paths he sets before us. So many times we do not know the way we should go or what decision to make, but God always knows and will reveal his plans to us if we wholeheartedly seek to know and to do his will. Whether the road we travel is an easy or a difficult one, God walks faithfully beside us, gently guiding and directing us according to his perfect will. "Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying: 'This is the way; walk in it'" (Isaiah 30:21).

Are you at a crossroads today? If so, prayerfully consider where you have been and all that God has taught you so far on your journey with him. Ask him to reveal the direction you are to go, to open the doors through which you are to continue on with him. Quiet yourself before him and know that he is ever faithful and ever in control of all that happens in your life. His plans for you are good. Trust fully in him and lean not on your own understanding, especially when God's ways don't make sense to you. If you will allow yourself to fully trust in him and go where he leads, you will find yourself in a place of blessing and adventure beyond your wildest dreams.

Extreme Makeover: Heart Edition (from "Good to the Last Drop")

One of my favorite shows of all time is Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. Without fail, I am deeply moved and brought to tears each week as I watch Ty Pennington and his makeover team bring hope to needy families by taking their run-down dwellings and transforming them into the homes of their dreams. Each year, as the busy holiday season approaches and I prepare to transform my own home by decorating it with lights and brightly colored packages under a tree trimmed with handmade ornaments, I know that the true makeover must begin in my own wretched heart.

During the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving and Christmas, it is easy to lose sight of the true meaning of each of these holidays. With all the bad news about the economy, the war in Iraq, the moral decline of our society, and the poverty and disease that exist all over the world, we forget to thank God for the blessings we do have. The true makeover begins when we look for the good in our fellow man and focus on our blessings, instead of what we lack.

No doubt this holiday season will be filled with relentless activity for most of us. Between Christmas shopping and decorating, attending pageants and parties, more than ever we need to set aside time to prepare our hearts to worship the one whose birthday we celebrate—Jesus. As Mary did, we need to ponder in our hearts the true gift of love and salvation that was wrapped in swaddling cloths and laid in the manger so many years ago. We need to prepare room in our hearts for those who are lonely, hurting, and needy and set our hearts on things above rather than on all the trappings and stress of the holiday season.

May we allow Jesus to demolish our dilapidated hearts and transform them into mansions fit for a King.

A Peanuts Christmas

"Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!" -- 2 Corinthians 9:15

Christmas is full of traditions, a time for making and sometimes reliving precious memories. Whether it's spending time watching a favorite Christmas program on TV or attending the community Christmas parade with our family, there is always one enjoyable aspect of Christmas we never tire of repeating year after year.

One of my favorite childhood Christmas memories is that of attending the annual Memphis Christmas parade downtown on Main Street. My dad, big and broad-shouldered enough to give us the best seat on the street, always made a trip to the peanut store for fresh roasted peanuts. I didn't care much for eating them myself, but how I loved the aroma of those peanuts! As I shivered in the cold last night, anticipating the start of our Christmas parade and sharing this memory with a friend who sat with her family nearby, she magically produced a paper bag full of unshelled peanuts. It seemed a fitting tribute to my dad and those special memories to enjoy a handful of the tasty treats she had packed for her own family.

How will you celebrate Christmas this year? Will you spend your time in relentless pursuit of the latest toy, attending endless parties, and simply trying to endure another frantic holiday season? Or will you take the time to savor the sweetness of the precious memories of Christmas past, enjoy the moments of Christmas present, and celebrate the birth of the Christ-child who came to give us the greatest gifts of all -- forgiveness, salvation, and life everlasting?

All I Want for Christmas (from "Good to the Last Drop" by Dee Dee Wike)

When people ask me what I want for Christmas, I can say in all honesty that there is nothing in particular that I can’t live without. Certainly, there are things I could use like new linens or an outfit or two, but there is really nothing tangible that I want badly enough that anyone should have to spend a dime on a gift for me.

Like the apostle Paul, “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want” (Philippians 4:11–12).

There are things I would like, of course, such as cash to pay my bills and actually buy Christmas gifts for others, a day without my kids complaining about having to do schoolwork or take out the trash, and the time to do what I want to do rather than what I have to do. But, those are things you can’t wrap and put under a Christmas tree.

So what is it that you want for Christmas? Have you found the peace that your soul longs for? After all, most of the things we buy are things to fill that empty longing that only Christ can fill. I suppose that’s why I can’t think of any thing I want for Christmas. My Christmas gift was delivered in a manger in Bethlehem on a starry night long ago. His name is Jesus, and he truly is everything I need.

Heavenly Peace

"You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you." -- Isaiah 26:3

Why is it that Christmas causes us so much stress when, in fact, it should be a season of peace and goodwill to men on earth? The minute Thanksgiving is over, we go into full attack mode as we make our shopping lists, peruse the sale ads, and figure out how we are going to pull together the resources to put Christmas under the tree. We fill our calendars with endless activities, spend long hours trimming our trees and decorating our homes, and work ourselves into a virtual frenzy, all to make Christmas just another special occasion. Before you know it, our focus has shifted from the manger to the mania that has become the Christmas we know today.

There was a lot of activity in the days leading up to Christ's birth. Mary and Joseph were headed from Nazareth to Bethlehem to be registered for the census. Mary was nearing the end of a controversial pregnancy that no doubt had caused stress for her and Joseph because of its timing and their unconsummated relationship. While they were in Bethlehem, far from familiar surroundings and the support of a loving family, Mary's time to deliver came. As they scrambled to find room in a suitable inn and found themselves instead bedding down in a stable for the night, I doubt they experienced much peace. But as the cold night dawned bright under the eastern star and her baby's cries pierced the silent night, she had only to look into the face of her son to know the peace that passes all understanding.

As you go about another busy Christmas season, pause long enough to look into the face of your Savior. As you turn your attention from the trappings of the world and ponder, as Mary did, the wonders of Christ and his love, then you will experience the heavenly peace of that very first Christmas.

Are We There Yet?

"But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body." -- Philippians 3:20-21.

Before we even made it out of the city on our recent trip, I found myself asking the question, "Are we there yet?" Annoyed that we had to stop by the store for a forgotten item, I realized that we were probably in for a very long day.

Sometimes life rolls along smoothly like a well-oiled machine and other times the journey is filled with unanticipated and annoying detours. On those difficult days, we often find ourselves wishing we could hurry up and reach our final destination, heaven. However, God doesn't promise us any shortcuts. But he does offer hope, the power of the Holy Spirit to help us on our journey, and the assurance that he is ever-present with us.

Next time you find yourself growing impatient with the roadblocks and challenges you face, remember that this world is not all there is. Jesus himself has gone to heaven to prepare a place for you, and when everything is ready he will return to get you so you can be with him forever (John 14:3).

Quiet in the Chaos

"In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it." -- Isaiah 30:15

Life is busy and the holidays just accelerate the frantic pace of our daily lives. I don't know about you, but some days I find myself a little anxious--nearly in a state of panic--over everything on my to do list. Whether we are tying up loose ends and packing for a holiday trip or doing our last minute shopping, it doesn't take long for us to lose ourselves in the chaos and forget that the Christmas child was also the Prince of Peace.

It is not difficult to become overwhelmed by all the challenges we face. However, if we simply set aside five or ten minutes in the morning to quiet ourselves before the Lord and seek his will through prayer and his Word, then we can find the strength we need to meet the demands of life. The discipline of a quiet time, no matter how brief, can help shift our focus from our to do list to the One through whom we can do all things (Philippians 4:13). Even if we don't do everything on our list, God will give us the wisdom to accomplish the things that are most important.

Life is too short to agonize over the details. Make your list, pray it through each morning, commit each day to God, and let him accomplish his purposes through you. Do your best, but leave the rest to God!