HOPE for the Holidays - New Year's Eve

Duet: my grandson and me

"Now may the God of HOPE fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in HOPE by the power of the Holy Spirit." (Romans 15:13)

Story of HOPE:

      By far, one of the greatest highlights for me this Christmas season was playing piano duets with my grandchildren - "Matchmaker" from Fiddler on the Roof with the oldest grandson, and "Beauty and the Beast" with the granddaughter. How awe-inspiring to sit beside a child that I love so, very dearly and work together to make "beautiful music."

O Father, that's how I want to live life in 2014 - everyday beside You, my God and heavenly Father who loves me dearly, working together to make the world a more beautiful place for others. Now, Father, may You, the God of HOPE, fill my viewers with all JOY and PEACE in believing, that they may abound in HOPE by the power of the Holy Spirit and walk beside You throughout the New Year!

Today concludes 2013, and this post concludes the HOPE for the Holidays series. So, until next year, adios amigos!

         
       

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HOPE for the Holidays - Day 28

My Phillip and Gabe, one of our granddogs

"Let Your unfailing love surround us, Lord, for our HOPE is in You alone." (Psalm 33:22)

Story of HOPE:

      Everytime Gabe, our granddog, gets to the farm, he's like a little kid on Christmas morning. Gabe jumps out of the truck, runs to greet "Granddaddy" (always first), next "Memaw", and then he leaps for joy, prances, "smiles", and plays and plays and plays until time to go back home. Unlike us people, that dog is always happy, always loyal,  and always loving - always, always, always, always!

        The Bible tells us that God does not change (Mal. 3:6) and that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Heb. 13:8)!  God is NEVER wrong, He NEVER lies, and His ways are ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS perfect. 

         God ALWAYS extends love, grace, forgiveness, and mercy to those who come to Him through faith in His Son, Jesus; and there is nothing that His children can do to make God love them less. 

           And God is ALWAYS just. Therefore, those who reject His Son, Jesus, will  experience His holy wrath and come under His righteous judgment.

           I recently heard of a man who said, "There are only two kinds of people in this world - those who believe in Jesus and those who don't (i.e. those who will spend eternity in heaven with God, and those who will spend eternity in hell separated from God forever)." 

             So, which kind of person do you want to be?

O Father God, thank you for Your unfailing love. I pray that ALL my readers will come to You through faith in Your Son, Jesus Christ!

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HOPE for the Holidays - Day 27

My grandkids, in their imaginary, magical, happily-ever-after "Manatee Forest", 2012

"For I know the plans that I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans...to give you a future and a HOPE." (Jer. 29:11)


Story of HOPE:

        Yes, God knows well the plans He has for us and our children. When I asked the Lord what He'd have me post today, I believe He answered, "Tell the Crucible story again." 

         At Parris Island, the final trial for rite of passage from recruit to U.S. Marine is “The Crucible” – a 54-hour, grueling test of physical and mental strength where candidates travel 48 miles on foot, carrying 45 pounds of gear, negotiating numerous obstacles, and resolving copious problems, all the while deprived of adequate food and sleep!

  As those days approached for our son, Dan, I asked multitudes of friends and family to pray fervently, asking God to grant good weather! God answered our prayers with…a hurricane! Yes, literally, a hurricane crossed Parris Island while Dan negotiated his Crucible.

Omniscient Father God knew what those young men and women needed better than their storm-tossed, anxious mothers. New Marines needed preparation for the hostile conditions of war and NOT a sunny-skied romp around the island like scouts at  summer camp! Later on, as Dan weathered the storms of Iraq, I thanked Jesus many times for saying no to my blue-sky request.

O Father God, as parents, we often pray for easy and happily-ever-afters for our children. But in Your sovereignty, You, Father, know best that sometimes the harder way is for their greater good. O Lord, help us to entrust our children and grandchildren to Your care and trust Your answers to our prayers. May our ultimate aim be Christ-like children who love You and serve You with whole hearts and willing minds for Your glory! Amen and Amen!

"Although He [Jesus] was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation!"

(Heb. 5:7-8) 

(Left: My Dan, the prepared Marine)

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HOPE for the Holidays - Day 26

Christmas at the River Cabin, 2013

"All day long I put my HOPE in You [Lord]." (Psalm 25:5b)



Story of HOPE:

           Yesterday, my Phillip and I celebrated Jesus' birth with a quiet Christmas together at our river cabin. This weekend, however, caravans of kids and grandkids arrive for a... well, not-so-quiet Christmas celebration. Which does God prefer? BOTH! 
            King Solomon once penned, "For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven...a time to be quiet and a time to [shout]" (Eccl. 3:1,7b). So whether you celebrate our Savior's birthday quietly or not-so-quietly, the important thing is that you celebrate HIM!

"I wait quietly before God, for my victory is in Him. Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my HOPE is in Him." (Psalm 62:1-2)

"Shout with JOY to the Lord, all the earth! Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before Him, singing with JOY!...Enter His gates with thanksgiving and go into His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him and praise His name!" (Psalm 100: 1-2,4)

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HOPE for the Holidays - Christmas Day

"The Nativity" by Jon McNaughton

"...HOPE does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us...God demonstrated His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having been justified (just-as-if-I-never-sinned) by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him!" (Rom. 5:5,8-9)

Story of HOPE:

      Of all my Christmases, the very Christmas morning that my parents chose to give us a wooden, flyer sled, it SNOWED (a rare phenomenon for sure in Alabama, I might add)! 

         And, at the appointed, most-perfect moment, "when the fulness of time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, in order that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, 'Abba! Father!'" (Gal. 4:4-6)

O Abba Father, thank You for Jesus - Your indescribable GIFT!

Grandkids, Christmas 2007

Happy Birthday, Jesus!

Merry Christmas, everyone!

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HOPE for the Holidays - Christmas Eve

My precious granddaughter, Christmas Eve 2011

"Twas the night before Christmas when all through the house,

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,

In HOPES that St. Nicholas soon would be there.
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads."(1)

Story of HOPE:

      When we were teenagers, my brother, Mark, slipped out of our house while no one was looking one Christmas Eve night, climbed up on the roof, and then bellowed a hearty "ho, ho, ho" down the chimney. What a fun Christmas memory!
     All around the globe,"tiny tots with their eyes all aglow will find it hard to sleep tonight"(2), as they anticipate Santa's arrival via sleigh and eight, flying reindeer. Moreover, for many long years before the birth of Christ on a starry night in Bethlehem, the world had waited expectantly for the fulfillment of God-given visions, not of sugar-plums, but of a coming Messiah.

         Seven hundred years prior to nativity, God had promised: "As for you, Bethlehem...too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you One will go forth for Me to be Ruler in Israel" (Mic. 5:2). "For, behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a Son, and she will call His name, Immanuel (Isa. 7:14)...a child will be born to us, a Son will be given to us...and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor...Prince of Peace" (Isa. 9:6). 
       Those promises were fulfilled indeed two thousand years ago when the virgin Mary swaddled her baby Savior in cloths and laid Him in a manger. And one day (perhaps soon), just as God has also promised, Jesus Christ will come to earth again: 

              "And I saw heaven opened; and behold, a white horse, and He who sat upon it is call Faithful and True...He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood; and His name is called the Word of God...And on His robe...He has the name written, KING OF KINGS, and LORD OF LORDS" (Rev. 19:11,13,16)!

              "...and the Lord God will give Him the throne of...David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; and His kingdom will have no end" (Luke 1:32-33)!

Lord Jesus, as we celebrate Your birth, we also wait with great expectancy, HOPE, and joy for Your return! 

Joy to the world! The Lord has come

Let earth receive her King!

Let every heart prepare Him room

And heaven and nature sing

And heaven and nature sing

And heaven and heaven and nature sing!(3)

1 THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS. Clement C. Moore, 1823.
2 THE CHRISTMAS SONG. Mel Torme' and Bob Wells, 1944.
3 JOY TO THE WORLD. Isaac Watts, 1719.

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HOPE for the Holidays - Day 23

My daddy: William Winfred Watson, Jr. in 1939
(December 23, 1921 - June 5, 1994)

"For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all the people. And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, while we look forward with HOPE to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. He gave His life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us His very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds." (Titus 2:11-14)

Story of HOPE:

       My father's birthday fell on December 23rd, just two days before Christmas. (Happy birthday, Daddy!) When he was a little boy, acknowledgements of his special day were usually lost amongst Christmas festivities. More times than not, he heard, "This gift is for your birthday and Christmas." 

       And, as the hands of time tick down, it's evident that the real reason for the Christmas season - the celebration of Jesus's birthday - is getting lost amidst "holiday" activities. Each year, Christmas hymns vanish from more public schools, more "happy holidays" replace "merry Christmases", and there's more talk of what's on sale than our Savior's birth. 
        However, we must never lose HOPE, because the truth is:

"Christ, as the Son is in charge...[therefore, we will] keep our courage and remain confident in our HOPE in Christ!" (Heb. 3:6)

"We must not lose heart...while we look not at the things that are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal." (2 Cor. 4:16-18)

"For...God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus [the day will come when] every knee [of believers and non-believers as well] will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every [single] tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father!" (Phil. 2:9-11) 

O Father, thank You for sending Jesus - the greatest gift mankind has ever received. I pray that today my readers and I will stop and remember Your Son, Jesus - the true Reason for this Season. I pray that we will give thanks to You, Jesus; because although You were God, You didn't think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, You gave up Your divine privileges, took the humble position of a slave, came down as a baby, humbled Yourself in obedience to God, and died a criminal's death on a cross ( Phil. 2:5-8) in our place!

Happy birthday, Jesus!
I'm so glad it's Christmas!
All the tinsel and lights, 
And the presents are nice,
But the real gift is You! 

Happy birthday Jesus! 
I'm so glad it's Christmas. 
All the carols and bells 
Make the holiday swell, 
And it's all about You!

Happy birthday, Jesus.
Jesus, I love You!1

1 HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JESUS. Carol Cymbala, 1996.

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HOPE for the Holiday - Day 22

My first grandson, 2007

My only granddaughter, 2007

My second grandson, 2009

"We have this treasure [the gospel, i.e. Good News of forgiveness and eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ] hidden in earthen vessels [ordinary, everyday people]..." (2 Cor. 4:7) "His name [JESUS] will be the HOPE of all the world." (Matt. 12:21) 

Story of HOPE:

        I've been on pins and needles this morning anticipating a text from my Ben and Gabbi - eagerly waiting to hear if the sonogram revealed whether the little treasure nestled in Gabbi's womb is a grandson or granddaughter. 

And the good news is....
                                drum roll please....
                                                              It's a BOY!


        "And the angel [Gabriel] said to Mary, 'Behold, you will conceive in your womb, and bear a Son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign...forever; and His kingdom will have no end.'"
        "Now at that time Mary arose and went with hast to the hill country...and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. And it came about that when Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. And she cried out with a loud voice, and said, "Blessed among women are you, and blessed is the Fruit of your womb! And how has it happened to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy!" (Luke 1:30-33,39-44)

Question: 
After Gabriel's announcement to Mary, who was the first person to tell the the Gospel of the coming Savior, and who did he witness to? (Hint: You'll find the answer in the verses above.)

Answer: 
John the Baptist, while still in Elizabeth's womb, conveyed to his mother by a leap of joy the Good News of salvation through Jesus Christ!

        Have you been forgiven, saved, and redeemed by the blood of Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world? Yes? Then the treasure of the Good News dwells within you! Do not keep it hidden! Go tell it on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere! Go tell the lost world that Jesus Christ was born!

O Father, thank You for giving our family the precious gift of a new baby boy, and thank You for sending Your precious Son, JESUS, to earth as a baby over two thousand years ago to save us from our sins! In this Christmas season and all the days to come, I pray that my readers and I will tell the Good News of Jesus Christ. 

"Grace to you and peace from...Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the first-born of the dead, and the ruler of kings of the earth...who loves us, and released us from our sins by His blood!" (Rev. 1:5-6)

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HOPE for the Holidays - Day 21

My Ben, niece Virginia, my Rebecca, and niece Tamara, 1987
(Treehouse in my parents' yard atop Lookout Mt. Fort Payne, Alabama)

"Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which means, 'God with us!'"(Matt. 1:23)
"O HOPE of Israel, our Savior in times of trouble..." (Jer. 14;8)





Story of HOPE:

         For my brother's 6th birthday in 1959, Daddy built a treehouse in our backyard. Although I was only three at the time, I pleaded, begged, and finally convinced my parents to let me spend the night up there that summer. On the floor of the treehouse, they fixed a comfy bed of cushions and quilts, where I snuggled in like a squirrel in her nest and soon fell fast asleep under a canopy of stars.
       When I woke up the next morning, however, I found myself not in the treehouse but inside our house in my own bed. Unbeknownst to me, Mother and Daddy had watched over me from the back porch till I went to sleep. Then, Daddy had climbed the treehouse ladder and carried his little daughter to a safe place. 

Thank You, Lord Jesus, that You are Immanuel - God with us, watching over and protecting us. Thank You, Jesus, that You promised to never leave or forsake Your children. You are our Savior and our HOPE in times of trouble! Blessed be the name of the Lord!

"The Lord watches over all who love Him..." (Psalm 145:20a)

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HOPE for the Holidays - Day 20

My father, Cpt. W. W. Watson
New Guinea, World War II

"Three things will last forever - faith, HOPE, and love - and the greatest of these is love. 
(1 Cor. 13:13)

        During World War II, while Daddy was overseas, my parents wrote one another letters of love everyday. Daddy said that the mail sometimes got detained for weeks. So the longed-for mail-calls brought other duties to a screeching  halt, allowing the soldiers "time" with their loved ones through written words. 

My Dan, U.S. Marines
Operation Iraqi Freedom

            Sixty years later, this mama would be writing letters of love  everyday to my son while he trained at the US Marine Corps' Parris Island in preparations for Operation Iraqi Freedom. The greatest letter of love ever written, however, was composed over a period of approximately 1,600 years through 40 different  scribes. Yes, God wrote His great letter of love - the Bible - to every tribe, tongue, and nation in the world. From Genesis to Revelation, the Heavenly Father's message of love heralds forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.

"For unto us a Child is born,

Unto us a Son is given;

And the government shall be upon His shoulder.

And His name shall be called

Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

(Isa. 9:6)

"...the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin...whose name was Mary...Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High!" (Luke 1:26-32)

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life!" (John 3:16)

"Moreover, brothers and sisters, I declare to you the gospel...by which you are saved, if you hold fast the Word...that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures..." (1 Cor. 15:1-4)

 O Father, I pray that my viewers from every tribe, tongue and nation will read Your letter of love - the Bible-  and believe that it was written personally to them. I pray that faith in You, HOPE, and love will abide in them today and forevermore!

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HOPE for the Holidays - Day 19

My father and mother, 1944
Mt. Rubidoux: Riverside, California

"May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace...Even before He made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ...God decided in advance to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ...I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you may grow in your knowledge of God. I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident HOPE He has given to those He called..." (Eph. 1:2,5-6,16-18)

Story of HOPE:

         Each time mother heard the song I'll be Home for Christmas, she would say, "That one makes me cry." 
        After their wedding and a brief honeymoon in Alabama, Mama and Daddy boarded a train destined for Camp Anza in Riverside, California. In those perilous days of World War II, the U.S. Army processed Daddy to go overseas, and for the next three Christmases, my parents lived an ocean apart. 
        Thanks be to Jesus, the war ended, and Daddy came home. Every yuletide season afterwards in their 50 years of marriage, my mother and father enjoyed Christmas together.

        Spiritually speaking, you may be an ocean away from God this Christmas season. I HOPE you understand that Abba Father longs to have you close to Him. I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ to give you HOPE and to flood your hearts with His LIGHT and LOVE through faith in Jesus Christ.

O wandering soul, won't you please come home for Christmas?

"The Lord longs to be gracious to you, and therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; how blessed are all those who long for Him!" (Isa. 30:18)


     

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HOPE for the Holidays - Day 18

Road trip's winter wonderland

"Through [Jesus Christ], we have obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the HOPE of the glory of God...This HOPE does not disappoint, because God's love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us." (Rom. 5:2,5)                                                    


Story of HOPE:

       Over a road trip this past weekend, I was reminded that, in simple ways, HOPE lies within reach everyday if we'll just take time to notice. For instance, under winter's snowy blanket sleeps the HOPE of  spring.

In children and grandchildren, lives the HOPE for our future.

My grandkids

And through Christmas carols and children's pageants, dances the HOPE of Jesus - the Savior for hopeless hearts.

Grandkids' Christmas program

O Father, I pray that my readers will pause today, grasp the HOPE You've placed all around them, and discover Your never-ending love and grace through faith in Jesus Christ! May their hearts dance with HOPE!

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HOPE for the Holidays - Day 17

My precious children, 1990

"What is faith? It is the confident assurance that what we HOPE for is going to happen. It is the evidence of things we cannot yet see." (Heb. 11:1)


Story of HOPE:

       A few years back, I was the mother of a prodigal child; but by God's grace and power, that child came to his senses and returned to his God and the path of righteousness. 
        O parents of prodigals, my heart bleeds for you and your rebel. I urge you to never stop HOPING in God!

With a smirk of satisfaction, the boy shoved the money into an animal skin bag and tightly cinched the leather cords. As his sandals hit the dusty road, he called back over his shoulder, "Goodbye, Father", and then raced toward the sun just touching the horizon. 

The old man's gaze remained fixed on the figure in the distance until his youngest child disappeared from sight.  "I will lift up mine eyes to the hills, from whence cometh my help?  My help cometh from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.  He will not suffer thy foot to be moved; He that keepeth thee will not slumber…"(Psalm 121:1-3), the father recited aloud in low, broken tones. Weeping softly, he dropped onto aging knees beside the rolled bed mat where he remained in prayer until the vanishing sun reappeared in gentle hues of pinks and violets.

         The household returned to daily chores with one less pair of hands to labor. From time to time, the ol' gentleman cast a HOPEful glance westward, but the boy never appeared.  Turning his focus from the skyline toward heaven, he prayed  "I will rest, in You, O Lord, and wait patiently for You" (Psalm 37:7).  

         Days turned into weeks and weeks stretched into seemingly endless months. One ordinary day, as the father shuffled toward the stone well, something beyond the cistern caught his eye. Suddenly, the old man dropped his water jar and ran with outstretched arms down the dusty road toward a homesick boy.

(Read the Story of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15:11-32)

O Father, I pray for every reader that has a prodigal or even may be a prodigal themselves. Please bring them close to You and back to Your place of GRACE and HOPE!

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HOPE for the Holidays - Day 16

My Rebecca, a beautiful bride, 2004

"The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, "The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will HOPE in Him!"
   (Lam. 3:22-24)










Story of HOPE:

       In this mama's opinion, my Rebecca was one of the most gorgeous brides I've ever seen. Today's story of HOPE is about another beautiful bride. Long years ago...

       the brilliant sunshine in the cloudless, blue sky dimmed in comparison to her radiant beauty. "What a lovely bride," the people said. "And what a good family she has married into. Dreams truly do come true."
       Ten short years later, however, her handsome groom died, and her happily-ever-afters shattered in a thousand and one painful pieces. With an economy as broken as her heart, times grew hard and the future looked dismal. The young woman, determined to provide for her widowed mother-in-law and herself, found work on a farm as a common laborer.
       (If you've never heard this story, you're probably saying, "Jill, you call this sad tale a story of HOPE???" Hang in there, reader, a happy ending's coming! I promise!)
        Well, it didn't take long for that farmer (who just happened to be single himself) to notice the beautiful young widow working his fields. Long story short, they fell in love, married, and soon had a sweet, little, baby boy: Obed. Obed would have a son named Jesse, who would have a son named King David

"And David was the great, great, great,
Great, great (times three, times one, plus eight)
Great, grand-dad of a man whose wife 
You've probably heard of all your life.

A man who's son, to be precise,
Was JESUS. NO?! YES! JESUS CHRIST!
Just take a second, think it through.
Oh, what God will go and do!

For God is love and love is kind,
The kindest that you'll ever find,
The kindest that you'll ever see,
That's something else, don't you agree?!1

O Father, I pray HOPE for every reader whose dreams have shattered and lay in a thousand and one pieces around their feet. Please help them to come to the foot of the Cross of Jesus Christ and find Your future HOPES and dreams for them.

1 I LOVE RUTHIE, Phil A. Smouse. 2002

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