Fear Escape
In our increasingly dangerous world, think of what we have to fear: Ominous terrorist threats, frightening crime rates, increasing natural disasters, sobering energy crises, . . . God.
Remembering
Some days we awaken with aching joints and dull spirits and wonder how we can shake off our lethargy and make it through the day.
Impaired Vision
When I was a child, I had to wear glasses. Interestingly, my vision improved, and from high school until age 40 I didn’t need them. Prior to that landmark age, my vision was better than 20/20. Now, because of the natural degeneration of the eyes, I wear bifocals. Without glasses, my vision is impaired.
The Last Sins To Go
The apostle Paul said that we are to “cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit” (2 Cor. 7:1). Even though it may seem to people around us that we are living a clean, moral life, in our spirit we may be harboring an attitude that displeases the Lord. Because sins of the spirit are unseen, hidden in the heart, we tend to ignore them until they lead to some outward behavior that reveals their presence.
A Christmas Rose
In contrast to many of the resounding carols proclaiming the Savior’s birth, “Lo, How A Rose E’er Blooming” is a gentle song. Its words and music capture the hushed, almost preposterous assertion that a rose of hope has bloomed in the world’s winter of despair. Written in the 15th century by an unknown German poet, it stands quietly in the midst of our modern Christmas rush, bearing a message of joy for all who will pause to listen.
The Great Earthquake
On December 26, 2004, an earthquake shook the whole earth. Many people didn’t feel it, but the South Asian region and parts of Africa suffered a devastating tsunami as a result. According to reporter Randolph Schmid, however, “No point on Earth remained undisturbed.” That earthquake, he tells us, “shook the ground everywhere on Earth’s surface.”
A Fitting Present
A little boy was somewhat perplexed by all the exchanging of presents on Christmas morning, for he had been taught in Sunday school that it was the birthday of the Savior. Finally, after a long period of silence, he asked, “Mommy, when are we going to give Jesus His present? I thought it was His birthday!”
Wonder
Elmer Kline, a bakery manager in 1921, was given the job of naming the company’s new loaf of bread. As he struggled to come up with something “catchy,” he found his answer in an unlikely place. While visiting the grounds of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, he stopped to watch the International Balloon Festival.
A Baby Boy
The full-page advertisement in the newspaper caught my eye immediately. Near the top of the light-blue page was the silhouette of a star. In the center of the page were the words:
The Joy Of Redemption
For 30 straight Christmas seasons at the Omaha Community Playhouse, Dick Boyd never missed a performance as Ebenezer Scrooge in Charles Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol. When he retired at the age of 83, Boyd no longer needed makeup to play the cynical, miserly old man who is transformed at Christmas. During the play, the dramatic change in Scrooge is seen in his face, in his voice, and in his generosity. The director who selected Boyd for the role in 1976 said, “Dick was the one who best captured the joy of redemption.”
Seeing At Christmas
During the Christmas season of 1879, an agnostic reporter in Boston saw three little girls standing in front of a store window full of toys. One of them was blind. He heard the other two describing the toys to their friend. He had never considered how difficult it was to explain to someone without sight what something looks like. That incident became the basis for a newspaper story.
The “Mom Box”
Each Christmas I give both of my daughters a “Mom box.” Each box contains items to encourage them to be the best mothers they can be. It might have craft books or special projects, devotional books or tapes geared toward young moms, first-aid kits, recipes for cooking with kids—and often something personal like bubble bath for a little pampering after a tough day of mothering! It’s become a tradition that Rosemary and Tanya have looked forward to every year for the last decade.
Name Above All Names
If you knew for certain that you were going to lose your voice and that you would never be able to speak again, what would you want your final words to be?
Learning To Lament
On February 14, 1884, Theodore Roosevelt’s wife, Alice, died giving birth to their daughter, also named Alice. Roosevelt was so distraught with the loss of his wife that he never spoke of her again. But reminders of her absence haunted the family. Because the newborn had the same name as her mother, she was called “Sister”—never Alice. On Valentine’s Day, the holiday for sweethearts, few in the Roosevelt household felt inclined to celebrate it or Sister’s birthday. Broken hearts made moods strained and stoic.
A Gift Of Shelter
Life was tough for Datha and her family. At age 39, she had a heart attack and bypass surgery and learned that she had coronary artery disease. A year later, her 15-year-old daughter Heather became paralyzed as the result of a car accident. Datha quit her job to take care of Heather, and the bills started piling up. Soon they would be facing eviction. Datha was so angry with God that she stopped praying.
Dirty Jobs
One TV personality seeks out the most dirty and grimy jobs he can find. Then he does those jobs on camera so we can all be grossed out.
Overcoming Evil With Good
Jesus was passing through Samaria on His way to Jerusalem. He sent messengers ahead to prepare a place, but the villagers rejected Him.
“Little Rajah, Little King”
In an editorial printed in Reaper magazine, David G. Stewart wrote, “In India we used to chuckle about baby pujah, or baby worship. All the women would gather around the baby in arms, and cluck like broody hens with their approval, and note the supposed likeness to mom or dad, and hold the fingers, touch the cheek, kiss the feet. A favorite term to describe the young baby boy was ‘Little Rajah, Little King.’ Though they do not actually bow down and worship a new baby, those Indians give so much attention to a new infant that it’s no wonder they call it ‘baby worship.’”
Money Talks
As I was driving home from the office, I saw a minivan proudly displaying a bumper sticker that read: “Money Talks: Mine Says Goodbye.” I think a lot of people can relate to that sentiment.
God Intrudes
During this Christmas season, it’s good to keep a firm grip on the reality of Easter. While the two events are celebrated at different times and in very different ways, they are both integral parts of God’s initiative in His grand plan of salvation.
Does God Forget?
God longs to forgive sinners! But in the minds of many people, this thought seems too good to be true. Countless sermons have been preached to convince guilt-ridden individuals that it is true. Many of these sermons emphasize that God not only forgives the sinner but also forgets the sin. I’ve often said it myself, never doubting its soundness.
Praying Sheep
Two children dressed as sheep in the Christmas play at Kaw Prairie Community Church in De Soto, Missouri, had a special part. Whenever Murphy, the main character in the play, encountered a problem, the sheep (Maria and Luke) came on stage to offer a reminder of what he needed to do. One carried the sign: “Just.” The other carried the sign: “Pray.”
The Maker Of Mountains
The Bible uses vivid imagery to express the brevity of our life on earth. Job said that his days were “swifter than a runner” and “they pass by like swift ships” (Job 9:25-26).
A Knightly Soldier
Before he enlisted in the Union Army to fight during the US Civil War, Joshua Chamberlain was a quiet and unassuming college professor. In the crucible of military combat he distinguished himself for his heroism in holding the line on Little Round Top during the Battle of Gettysburg. He was later awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.
Waiting For God
Author Henri Nouwen has observed that the first pages of Luke’s gospel are filled with people who were waiting: Zacharias and Elizabeth, Mary and Joseph, Simeon and Anna were all waiting for the fulfillment of a promise from God. But instead of passively waiting, they were actively looking to the Lord each day, what Nouwen calls being “present to the moment.”
God’s Work Of Art
Vincent Van Gogh bought a mirror and used his own likeness in many of his paintings. Rembrandt also used himself as a model, completing nearly 100 self-portraits. These artists had a good example, that of God Himself, who used His own likeness as the pattern for His crown jewel of creation (Gen. 1:27).
Righteousness Endures Forever
A good deal of our unhappiness as we grow older is caused by our pining for the “good old days”—those times when we enjoyed health, wealth, position, or power. But the things of this world don’t last. They are vacillating, changeable, capricious. In time, they may be taken away from us and replaced with poverty, isolation, weakness, and pain.
Scared To Death
The opening line of a country song, “Sarabeth is scared to death . . . ,” leads the listener into the fearful heart of a teenage girl who is diagnosed with cancer. The lyrics of “Skin (Sarabeth)” expose the struggles she faces, not only with the disease and its treatment but also with the obvious evidence of her struggle—the loss of her hair (hence, the title). It is a touching song of triumph in the midst of tragedy, as Sarabeth deals with the understandable life-and-death fears that cancer brings.
The Moment I Knew
The lights dimmed on the platform as Tom Whittaker began to sing the words of “Mary, Did You Know?” The steady, quiet strumming of his guitar beautifully complemented his calm, deep voice. His wife, Gloria, says that the first time she heard him sing that song, she realized she was in love with him.
Not Fair
When I was coaching high school freshman girls basketball in the fall of 2005, I was surprised at how many times I heard, “That’s not fair!”
Christmas Spirit
How would you define “the Christmas spirit”? Would it be a friendly smile between strangers, the sound of familiar carols, a tree with twinkling lights in a sea of brightly wrapped packages, or just that good feeling you get this time of the year?
