This is not a New Year’s Blog

Tomorrow starts 2024. For many of you, today is a day of cleansing. I have friends who come from traditions that you need to have a clean home and remove certain items from your home before the new year. Others of you will engage in rituals that will ensure a good new year. Some will make New Year’s resolutions. Many have chosen a word for the year. I have done some of these myself from time to time. This year, tomorrow is just a new day.

I think my shift this year is the season I am in. It’s a season of trust and grief as I face huge changes in my life next year. God and I are diving into new territory. He is my only hope. Yet some days that hope wavers. Some days it sustains me. Other days I sink. On either type of day, God’s love always shows up. He has shown me His face in the faces of many friends. He has shown me His glory in His creations. I don’t think I have ever seen cloud formations like the ones He has been painting this past month. (If you don’t live in California, know that we don’t get seasons here so it’s huge for us.) He has continued to guide and teach me in His Word. As I sip my tea with God on my porch, He shows up.

He always shows up. So I give Him the glory. He sustains me. He gives me life. He gives me hope. He gives me friends to remind me of His hope when mine fades. He gives me every good and perfect gift.

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. ~ James 1:17 NIV

Friends, our God doesn’t change. He is our rock. He doesn’t move away from us. He is with us always. He allows us to change. He forgives us. He helps us grow. We aren’t stuck. We can set a resolution but we won’t keep it without God being a part of it. Willpower and our might, fail. God is our strength and sustainer. Even the days I don’t feel it, He is doing it.

Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. ~ Psalm 73:25-26 NIV

If you reflect on the past year, the conclusion is this – to God be the glory. In our pain, He is there. In our joy, He is there. In our deepest grief and despair, He is there. In our delight, He is there. In our wounds, He is there. Even if you don’t see Him, He is there. Even if you don’t know Him, He’s a call for help away. Even when you are mad at Him, He is there. He will never leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5). Amen!

Praise be to the Lord God, the God of Israel, who alone does marvelous deeds. Praise be to his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen and Amen. ~ Psalm 72:18-19 NIV

Dream Big! Pray Big!

This is not a Christmas blog

I love the sights, smells, sounds, and tastes of Christmas. It brings back memories and evokes delight. I am not going to write about that even though it’s next week. I want to focus on the bigger theme of Christmas, really the bigger theme of life. Advent. Advent means arrival. For those that celebrate Advent, it’s the expectant waiting on Christ’s birth and 2nd return. The 4 Sunday’s leading up to Christmas focuses on that expectant waiting with hope, peace, joy, and love. However, what I am learning this year is that this is not a Christmas thing. It’s a Christian thing. We should be waiting expectantly on Christ’s return.

He arrived. We celebrate it on Christmas day. Not sure when Jesus was actually born on our current calendaring system, but we know He was born. Luke 2 is one of the best accounts of Jesus’ birth.

 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. ~ Luke 2:8-12 NIV

The promised Messiah had come. The one who Isaiah prophesies about is Jesus.

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.  ~Isaiah 7:14 NIV

Immanuel means God with us. God has been with His people. During the journey to the promised land, He was in the cloud by day and fire by night (Exodus 13:21). When Jesus came, we had God in person. When Jesus died and rose again, He sent His Holy Spirit to live in us. Those who receive Jesus as their Savior have the Holy Spirit. Which means, God is literally with us (inside of us) every moment of every day and night.

Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? ~ I Corinthians 6:19 NIV

While we wait on His return, what are we to do? That’s one of the big questions of Christianity. What is Your plan, Lord? I don’t know His plan for you. I don’t really know His plans for me right now. What I do know is this: God is with me always and in the waiting He is refining me. To Him be the glory. My job is to seek Him, love Him, know Him, and trust Him. With His Word, His people, and Him, I can do this. I hope you will too.

Dream Big! Pray Big!