Month: December 2019

“I say, “The Lord is my portion, therefore I will put my hope in Him.” Lamentations 3:24 CSB

We have done it.  We have completed 365 days of growing our faith in 2019.  Tomorrow starts a new year, a new challenge, a new day. How do you end a year like this?  By looking to the Lord for hope in the days ahead (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV).

I’m going to end the year with you guys, like I end the year in my own life, in prayer.

Dear Lord,

I can’t believe we’ve persevered through 365 days together.  I”m grateful for every mountain we’ve climbed, every tear we’ve cried, every smile we’ve shared.  I’m thankful for the devotion of these women who have daily turned to You. I’m thankful for the growth that we have each experienced, individually and together.

I’m sorry Lord for the times we’ve failed You.  I’m sorry for the times we’ve shown hate instead of love.  I’m sorry for the times we’ve lacked self-control. I’m sorry for words that have torn down instead of built up.  I’m sorry for the times we’ve glorified ourselves instead of You. I’m grateful Your mercies are new each morning.

As we turn to a new year, a fresh start, we ask for You to lead us.  We ask for Your guidance and direction in the year ahead. We ask for Your wisdom and discernment to direct our paths.  We pray You will illuminate blind spots in our lives that we need to work on. We ask Your blessings and favor to be upon us, today and always.  We ask that You be glorified in all we do in 2020. Help us to love You better, to love others better and to love ourselves better, Lord. Help us not be known as people who judge, but instead, as people who love.

Our lives are Yours Lord. Our hope is in You.  We give You control.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

God just called an audible in my life.

The picture below is this morning’s sunrise, I’m still on the beach. One of my favorite places to spend time with God. I was just praying about the year ahead when He changed my word and verse for next year. I know I wrote in a devotional the other day what it was, but I was wrong.

My word for 2020 is ENOUGH. My verses are Proverbs 30:8-9. I’m super excited to see what God does with it in my life next year.

First time ever I’ve had Him call an audible with less than 36 hours to go in the year. Life with Him is never boring!

“Don’t you know that the runners in a stadium all race, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way to win the prize.” 1 Corinthians 9:24 CSB

I put financial and physical goals together, in my mind they are the same type of goals.  They both require self-control, they both require work, and both of these are imperative to good health.  According to this article by Very Well, 72% of adults report being stressed about money, whether it’s paying rent or drowning in debt, money causes stress.  The article gives four ways financial stress affects our health: poor physical health, delayed health care, poor mental health, and unhealthy coping mechanisms.  When our finances are controlling us, they are controlling our health. When we learn to be the one in control, we will find better health and peace.

Only you can answer what your financial and physical goals can be.  For years, my financial goal was to pay off debt. Once I had accomplished that goal, my financial goal was staying out of debt. In addition to staying out of debt, I developed saving goals, then investment strategies.  Every year, my husband and I look at our finances together, decide on an area we want to fine tune, then make that our goal. I set a personal goal not to go over my own personal budget. My husband and I each have an amount in our budget we’re allowed to spend without asking the other one about the purchase.  I have gone over it twice in 2019. Since I didn’t come in on budget all 12 months, I’m keeping the same goal for 2020. I want to come in on budget EVERY month in 2020.

My physical goal I’m changing.  Last year my goal was to take 2 classes a week.  I didn’t achieve it, but I did start walking 5 days a week.  My goal for next year is to walk five days a week, hopefully with my husband.

Whatever you decide your goals are going to be in this area, make them realistic.  If it’s paying off debt, which debt? How are you going to do it? If it’s physical, making it something you will actually do.  I have never set a goal of going to the gym five days a week because I know that is something I will never do. I hate going to the gym, I’d much rather go for a walk.  Therefore, setting a goal of walking five days a week is much more achievable for me. And make sure your goals are measurable. I can easily tell you if I come in on budget any given month, or if I have walked 5 days in any given week.  Then just do it. If you fail one week, give yourself grace and keep going.  

I’m going to find rest in my financial and physical goals.  How can you find rest today?

“Above all, keep your love for one another at full strength, since love covers a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8 CSB

My relationship goal is a marriage goal.  As you know, I did not get married until I was 42 years old. My goals were still marital goals before I was married, I just called them relationship goals.  What I learned in all of those years of singleness, learning to be a good friend is key to having a great marriage. God did not waste those years I worked on having better relationships.  I call it marriage goal now, but I used to call it relationship goal.

For my husband and I, we are constantly working on our marriage.  Up until this year, we read a couple’s devotion together each day.  What this looked like in our marriage: I would read him whatever the days devotional was and we would talk about it.  Last year we decided to read through the Bible together in a year. We found a year long plan we both agreed on, and then we read it individually.  We used YouVersion. My favorite part was the notes we could send each other at the end of the day’s reading. I used it as an opportunity to pray for my husband specifically, telling him what I was praying for that day.  You can do the same thing with a friend, or a bunch of friends. YouVersion allows you to have multiple people reading the same plan together.

We haven’t decided what our goal will be for next year.  We decide it together, I’m writing this at the beginning of December, we’ll be talking about it in the month ahead.  What I found with my relationship goals when I was single, they often had to do with an area of my life I wasn’t giving to God.  My relationship goal often included a command from God that I needed to implement in my life. One year I worked on trusting, one year I worked on not assuming, one year I worked on boundaries.  All of these things helped prepare me for the marriage I have today. Practicing healthy relationship skills in all of my relationships have helped me develop a healthy marital relationship.

One relationship we can all be working on together is our relationship with God.  When I worked on trust, I worked first on trusting God and believing what He says in Proverbs.  “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths” (Prov. 3:5-6 NIV).  When I worked on not assuming, Isaiah helped me: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,”declares the Lord.” (55:8 NIV).  And when I worked on boundaries, I followed Jesus’s example. Here is a great article detailing how Jesus set boundaries from Soul Shepherding.  All of these goals helped me to develop healthy relationships, and continues to help me.

Today I’m going to find rest in relationship goals.  How can you find rest today?

“Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God—who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly—and it will be given to him.”  James 1:5 CSB

In my opinion, the first important goal to set for the new year is your spiritual goal.  I say this because in my life, I prioritize who comes first. My husband knows, God comes before him.  After God comes my husband, then family, then others. Those are the main priorities of my life. Therefore, since God is first, defining my spiritual goal comes first.

The first thing I do is pray.  I simply ask God, what do You want me to work on next year?  He knows the areas I need the most work.  Psalm 139:1 NIV says, “You have searched me, Lord, and You know me.”  He knows what He wants to work on in me, I want to let Him.  After I pray, I wait. I have never waited more than a couple of days for my verse to come.  Sometimes it has come immediately. This year, when I asked the Lord what my verse would be for 2020 I knew immediately.  “But the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:3b NIV).  This is the verse next year for the group, it came immediately to mind when I asked the question to God.  I’m taking that as His answer.

Once I have the verse, I search for the word within it.  There are not a lot of words in my verse for this year. God has made it very clear to me, it’s love.  These two combined will be my focus for next year. My life motto is “Love God, Love Others.” It’s an abbreviation of my life verses:  “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these”  (Mark 12:30-31 NIV). Living these verses are very challenging already. Loving God can be difficult, loving people can be difficult.  God is hopefully going to make me a little better at it next year, than I have been.

That is how I set my spiritual goal, I talk to God.  I go to the source and ask for His direction, then wait to receive it.  As you start thinking about your spiritual goal, talk to God. You don’t have to be in a special place, or set a special mood.  This year, when I asked God for my verse, I was blow drying my hair. God is available all the time, no matter what you are doing.  Seek Him, ask Him, then wait for the answer.

Today I’m finding rest in my spiritual goal.  How can you find rest today?

“Commit your activities to the Lord, and your plans will be established.” Prov. 16:3 CSB

We’ve survived the holidays, hopefully we’ve had a day of rest in our created Sabbath.  Now our thoughts are turning to the New Year, and the anticipation for all that we are hoping for in the days ahead. 

Approximately 10 years ago, I changed how I approach the upcoming year. I used to make resolutions, and break them by day three.  Now I make goals, I find a scripture that will be my focus for the year, and within it’s words, I find my one word for the year. Then I write it out and place it somewhere I will see it daily to remind me what I am working on for the year.  I’ve found it is much more effective than making New Year’s Resolutions. Over the last few days of 2019, I’m going to share my process with all of you, and invite you to join me.

I have four categories of goals: Spiritual, Marriage, Financial, Physical.  I write out one goal for each category. My Spiritual one is always whatever my verse and word are for the year.  For instance, this was my verse this year:

“Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;  perseverance, character; and character, hope.” Romans 5:3-4 NIV.

My word for this year was Perseverance.  My spiritual goal was to persevere this year, which may sound easy, but it was not.  This past year I started working on my Masters. Not only did I have to persevere in my efforts to go back to school, but I had committed to writing daily devotions for this group.  I had no idea on Jan. 1st, 2019 what either of those things meant for my life. Now I do, because I persevered. That perseverance did come with suffering, it did produce perseverance, build my character and give me hope.

My marriage goal was to read through the Bible together with my husband, we have now done that.  My physical goal was to take 2 exercise classes a week. My financial goal was to come in on budget each month.  I did not do 2 exercise classes each week, but I have started walking 5 days a week. I came in on budget almost every month, I missed twice.  I can look back over my goals, my 2019 and quantitatively tell you how I did. We’re going to close out 2019 by setting our goals for 2020.

I’m resting in anticipation today.  How can you find rest today?

“One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind.” Romans 14:5 CSB

Christmas is over, now what?  The day after Christmas can be a sort of let down. Often times you hear the post-Christmas blues called a “Holiday Hangover.” After all of the hard work, the preparation, the day has come and gone.  We spent so much time planning for the 25th, we forgot there was a Dec. 26th.  Holidays don’t go the way we planned the majority of the time. Not everyone came, so-and-so didn’t like their gift, the turkey was dry, on and on the list can go of all the things that went wrong. For me, working in retail is what led to my exhaustion on Dec. 26th.

The slow build to Christmas would start in September. The pressure from New York, where my corporate offices were, would begin to increase.  As new product hit the floor, we had to gauge it quickly to see if it was selling, then react accordingly to what the numbers were reporting. Starting at Thanksgiving we worked six day weeks, Black Friday was always the worst.  Every day I drove to different malls. Each mall was packed with cranky shoppers. The receiving docks were piled high with stock that needed to be processed and placed. My holidays flew by.  Then on Christmas Day, I went from going 90 miles an hour, to not moving at all. I went from 6 day work weeks to an entire week off. Inevitably, I got sick. By the time Christmas day had come and gone, I had worn myself out physically and mentally.

Many of you probably have similar stories of how the holidays have worn you out. For Moms, my retail nightmare pales in comparison to all they do during the holidays for their friends and families. The holidays are exhausting for all of us.

After 23 years in the business, I learned to plan ahead. I planned a Sabbath for Dec. 26th.  I planned a day where I didn’t get dressed or take a shower. I just vegged on the couch and watched movies, ALL day.  I planned rest into my life by creating an additional Sabbath day.

In this article by Kristie Rohweider, she gives us helpful tips on how to beat the post-holiday hangover.   Number one is to sleep in as long as you like, and when you do get up, don’t get dressed, stay in those jammies.  Drink plenty of water, only leave the couch when necessary, and put the phone on Do Not Disturb. Eat the leftovers, enjoy the cookies and relax.  Create a Sabbath day for yourself to rejuvenate, renew and refresh. If you can’t do it today, plan a day in the near future you can. We all need rest, we all need a Sabbath.

Today I’m going to find rest in a Sabbath day.  How can you find rest today?

There is no devotional I could write today that is better than the words of Luke.  Today, we’re going to read the Christmas story. Take time to let it’s words sink into your heart.  Give thanks to God for what He has done for us by giving us Jesus. Celebrate His birthday today with these words:

The Birth of Jesus

Luke 2:1-21 NIV

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.)  And everyone went to their own town to register.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born,  and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.  An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.  This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest heaven,

    and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child,  and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.  But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.  The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.

“For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on His shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. The dominion will be vast, and its prosperity will never end. He will reign on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish and sustain it with justice and righteousness from now on and forever. The zeal of the Lord of Hosts will accomplish this.”  Isaiah 9:6-7 CSB

We are on the eve of Christ’s birthday.  We have focused our attention on Him all year long.  We’ve struggled, we’ve grown, we’ve rejoiced. Now it is time to prepare our hearts for the celebration of His birth.  I wanted to share a candlelight service with all of you to do just that.

Imagine you are in a dimly lit church, the pastor has just finished speaking about the truth of Jesus.  The choir has shuffled quietly back on to the stage. The candles that were handed out when you walked in the door are now ready to be used.  They are slim, white candles with a paper disk surrounding them to protect your hands from dripping wax. Ushers begin to walk down the aisle, lighting the candles of the person on the end of each row.

I love this simple moment of unity as people share their light with the people next to them.  Soon the entire gathering is holding a lit candle and the lights begin to dim. The first few notes of Franz Gruber’s “Silent Night” begin to float through the silence:

Silent night, holy night

All is calm, all is bright

Round yon Virgin, Mother, Mother and Child

Holy infant so tender and mild

Sleep in heavenly peace.

Sleep in heavenly peace.

[Verse 2]

Silent night, holy night!

Shepherds quake at the sight

Glories stream from heaven afar

Heavenly hosts sing ‘Alleluia!

Christ the Savior is born

Christ the Savior is born

[Verse 3]

Silent night, holy night!

Son of God, love’s pure light

Radiant beams from Thy holy face

With the dawn of redeeming grace

Jesus Lord, at Thy birth

Jesus Lord, at Thy birth

As the pastor steps quietly to the pulpit, he blesses God’s people for the night ahead.  Candle’s are extinguished and people quietly shuffle out of their seats. Their hearts centered on their Lord.

Today I’m going to find rest in candlelight.  How can you find rest today?

“But Mary was treasuring up all these things in her heart and meditating on them.” Luke 2:19 CSB

This is after Jesus has been born, Mary is watching all of the activity going on around her.  Can you imagine what it must have been like to have this happen to you? To be told you are going to give birth to a son, even though you are a virgin?  Then to travel 90 miles on a donkey to do it?

The route Mary and Joseph took was flat at first, then would have gone over the hills into Jerusalem.  Scholars estimate they traveled 10 miles a day because of her pregnancy. The season would have been winter, this meant days in the 30’s and rain at night.  All while Mary is 9 months pregnant. This is what the woman who gave birth to Jesus had to do the week before His arrival. On top of that, when they reached Bethlehem, no one had any room for them.  Mary had to give birth in a stable.

Mary had a lot to ponder and reflect upon as she sat in that manger that night.

Think about your last week.  What was the biggest trial you had?  How has it affected your week? Where can you see God in it?  Reflect back not only of the past week, but the past year. How has God grown you this year?  What has He done in your life that you know was Him? Begin to treasure all of these things up in your heart, as Mary did after the birth of Jesus.

Jesus changed the course of Mary’s life.  He changes the course of our lives. Just like when He entered the world that night in Bethlehem, when we first believed in Him, our lives changed forever.  And continue to change as we allow Him to continue working in our hearts. I know I am not the person I was 12 months ago. I’ve learned, I’ve grown, I’ve matured in ways I didn’t even know I needed to mature.  And I still have a long way to go. I am still a sinner in need of grace. We are all sinners in need of grace this holiday season.

Today, as you seek a moment of solitude, reframing your mind with intentional gratitude, taking a moment outside to worship Jesus, reflect on all He has done.  Treasure them in your heart. Write them down to remind yourself of what He has done. Then give Him the glory He deserves.

Today I am going to find rest by reflecting.  How can you find rest today?