December 23

My daughter had an appointment in St. Petersburg and my son in law and I went with her. While she was seeing the doctor, we decided to get a bite to eat. We asked the receptionist for some recommendations and she suggested a little place near the office. We were a little shocked when we saw it and were very leery about going in because the building was quite deteriorated, it gave new meaning to the expression “hole in the wall!” The people that were waiting for their food weren’t much to look at, but after placing our order, they began a conversation. We had just stepped into a culture unlike the city of its location, possibly like a place in Cuba or other Spanish city. We had left the U.S. for an hour and it was well worth it! The food was amazing, but the experience even better! Don’t be so quick to judge a situation, you never know what God has in store for you! 

Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor. Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience. For "the earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof." 1 Corinthians 10:24-26

December 22

O victory in Jesus, my Savior, forever He sought me and bought me with His redeeming blood! We’ve all heard this song and probably sang it in church a few times, but have you ever taken to heart what it really means? What does victory actually mean? Death comes through sin and Jesus was victorious over both of them! The power of sin is in the law and Jesus was the redemption of that law! If you’ve ever tried to abide by the Ten Commandments you will quickly realize that, for those of us born with a sin nature, and that’s all of us, the law is impossible to keep. If you break even one iota of that law, you are condemned to death! Sin dangles death over our heads every day! We have been redeemed and are no longer under the law! If not for the grace of God and our Lord and Savior Jesus, we would still be under the law, and sin and death would still have a hold on us.

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 1 Corinthians 15:56

December 21

There are days that I just want to stay in bed! It’s usually the day after a busy day that I need some extra rest. We have obligations, jobs, children, and spouses, that pull us in many directions. Our Heavenly Father pulls us upward, drawing us close, so we might rest in Him. Even when we are in the height of madness, He wants to bring us closer to Him. His rest is different and we can enter it while still busy! He wants us to relax our minds from worry and fear, knowing that our time on this earth is temporary and the things that draw us away from Him are meaningless. Our greatest concern should be about spending our eternity without Jesus, and that has already been taken care of by Jesus himself! So when you start to fret over a situation, ask yourself “is this going to effect my eternity?” The answer to that question is always a resounding NO!

Php 3:14  I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:14

December 20

We are living in a time where we can partake of the tree of good and evil. Just like in the Garden of Eden, we have a choice to eat its fruit or avoid it. The internet, with all its bells and whistles, can be very attractive and draws us in like a magnet. Our eyes have been opened to the wisdom of this world and are exposed to many lies. How do you filter the information? One way is, if it seems too good to be true it probably is! However, there is some information that has been disguised as truth; it sounds true, it’s not extraordinary, it’s just a subtle lie. This kind of fallacy could easily lead you astray and send you down the wrong path. This is where we need the Holy Spirit and His wisdom to keep us on track. If you’re not sure about something you’ve heard, do a little research before you begin spreading untruthful stories or false doctrines. Listen to that quiet voice, He’s trustworthy!

"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Matthew 7:15-16

December 19

Oh, what a joy it is to shop for Christmas! The streets are filled with happy people just waiting their turn and being patient with one another. Their cheerful greetings make everyone feel the joy of the season. If only this were true! People are in a rush, they’ve waited until the last minute and it’s everyone else’s fault for their panic. We all have too much to do and too many places to be. I was feeling the same way and decided to ask God to multiply my time. Guess what? He did! I’m not sure how it happened, but I calmed down, stopped worrying about the outcome and worked through everything I needed to accomplish with time to spare! Sometimes we just need to reach out to the Creator, bring our concerns before Him, and allow Him to work out the details. Our responsibility is to work diligently as unto Him. He knows what we’re dealing with and is just waiting for us to ask for help!

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. Matthew 7:7

December 18

You’ve probably heard this from me before, but there is something special about a community of believers enjoying one another’s company. The women of our church got together for a cookie exchange. We shared bits of our stories, laughed, and ate. It was a time appointed by God and the Holy Spirit guided our conversation and brought the perfect scripture into the light. As disciples of Jesus, we are to train others to follow the Word of God and to set an example. We have been set apart and trained in the way He wants us to go, keeping us from being sent in a direction appointed by others. We aren’t church people, we are sons and daughters of the King. Do not accept what is considered the “standard”, that would be accepting less than what He has for you, unless you see the standard as Jesus! If you’re not part of the church, ask God to guide you to the right one. 

Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. Titus 2:3-5

If you are local to Plant City, FL, I would like to invite you to try my church, City Pointe Church. We are just regular, Jesus loving people. It’s comfortable and feels like home.

December 17

Spending time with family is probably the best part of celebrating the holidays. We get so busy with our lives that family can sometimes fall to the wayside. We met up with our children and grandchildren at a place called Christmas Lane to watch a live nativity and to hear the story of Jesus birth as it was read from scripture. The lights and decorations were beautiful, and the children loved every minute of it. There will be a few more family gatherings before the season is over which makes this heart very happy. I pray that you each enjoy your family and friends during this active time of year and that you continue to love one another. Don’t get too overwhelmed by the busyness. Slow down and take it all in, it will be over before you know it. Remember that many are lonely and may be dealing with things hidden within their hearts and a bit of kindness may help get them through their day.

And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. Luke 2:6-7