What Matters Most

 

"He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him." (1 John 4:9)

The back cover blurb of next year's book will read:

A window visible only from the outside . . .

A strange, hand-painted message . . .

Cryptic letters from Santa Fe, New Mexico . . . 

From the author of The Adventures of the Lookout Mountain Gang: The Secret Chest comes another delightful story of growing up in small-town America and learning what matters most in life.

And what matters most in this life is: God sent His one and only Son Jesus into the world that you and I might live through Him.

What matters most in your life, beloved? In your family, friendships, and work of your hands? This Christmas season and every day after, let's make Jesus first priority.

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King of Kings

 

4-year-old grandboy's Christmas castle

"On His robe and on His thigh He has the name written: KING OF KINDS AND LORD OF LORDS." (Revelation 19:16)

Bible trivia question: Is "Joy to the World" really a Christmas hymn?

Well, let's examine the lyrics to find the answer:

"Joy to the world, the Lord has come. 

Let earth receive her King!"

Hmm . . . On the first Christmas, Jesus came as a lowly babe in a Bethlehem manger, not as a king.

"He rules the world with truth and grace

And makes the nations prove

The light of His righteousness

And wonders of His love."

No, biblically speaking,  "Joy to the World" is not a Christmas hymn celebrating the first advent of Jesus Christ. (Sorry to burst your favorite-Christmas-song bubble.) "Joy to the World" is a celebration of Christ's second coming to earth as KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS, and that's something to celebrate! So, sing on, beloved: 

"Joy to the world, the Savior reigns!

Let men their songs employ

While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains

Repeat the sounding joy

Repeat the sounding joy

Repeat, repeat, the sounding JOY!"

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Holy Gifts

Collin

 

"In His grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well . . . " (Romans 12:6)

God has given my young friend, Collin, the wonderful gift of encouragement. Today, he's sending my elderly friend, Dan, one of his beautiful, handmade cards of encouragement.

Thank You, Holy Spirit, for bestowing Your gifts upon Collin. Thank you, Collin, for using the gifts to bless others.

Beloved, what gifts has God given you? How will you use those gifts to bless others today?

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Holly, Jolly Christmas

 

grandboy's imitation of the Grinch

"Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared . . . he said, 'I bring you Good News that will bring great JOY . . . the Messiah, the Lord, has been born today.'" (Luke 2: 9-11)

For her eighth build-a-story project, Rebecca put a Christmas twist in the rules: each entry must include a Christmas song title or lyric.

[A] “But, Baby, it’s cold outside,” said my mom, in the new old fashion way.

"O holy night, Mom! The weather is completely fine,” I told her.

[R] “But the weather outside is frightful, baby. I don’t think we’re going to be able to go caroling this year,” Mom said apologetically. 

“But it’s tradition!” I protested.

[J]“It’s just too dangerous, sugar plum.  When I was a little girl, my grandmother and I went Christmas caroling in bad weather like this, and ya know what happened to her?”

“What?”

“Grandma got run over by a reindeer!”

HO! HO! HO! beloved. Have a holly, jolly Christmas filled with JOY! The Savior has been born! He lived. He died in our place! He arose! and He's coming back one day!

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The Best Christmas Gift for Your Family

 

Grandgirl 2011ish

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is a gift of God." (Ephesians 2:8)

Beloved, God saved you by His gift of grace. Why not gift the ones you love this Christmas with abundant grace?

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Friendship

 

"May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. May God's love and the Holy Spirit's friendship be yours." (2 Corinthians 13:14)

5-year-old grandboy: "Memaw, can you come down here with me?"

Memaw: "Sure, buddy."

Through the trees and down the hill . . .

Memaw: "What did you want to show me, buddy?"

Pointing to his new friends and their mom, he said: "Her and them. There they are!"

Memaw: "Are these your friends?"

He nodded enthusiastically and grinned from ear to ear.

First Corinthians 1:9 tells us that God is the One who invited us into a wonderful friendship with His Son, even Christ our Lord. Have you accepted God's invitation, beloved?

What a friend we have in Jesus

All our sins and griefs to bear

And what a privilege to carry

Everything to God in prayer

Oh, what peace we often forfeit

Oh, what needless pain we bear

All because we do not carry

Everything to God in prayer 1

1 WHAT A FRIEND WE HAVE IN JESUS. Joseph M. Scriven, 1855.

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By Design

 

"Study the design you were given . . . and make everything accordingly." (Exodus 25:40)

Our son, Ben, a very talented graphic designer, designs my book covers. Weeks ago, he said, "Mama, I want you to draw the cover art for The Window at Willow Springs.

I answered emphatically, "No, I don't want to," and made a trip to Fort Payne, crawled over a barbed-wire fence, and a snapped a photo of the old Willow Springs manor.

"How about this, Ben? I love it!"

"Nope. Wrong angle."

Next, I contacted a talented artist in Clear Creek, Indiana who expressed an interest in the project, but his fee exceeded my budget.

Yesterday, I woke up at 4:30 A.M. to a Holy whisper, "Jill, at least try drawing the cover art like Ben said. I'll help you."

"Yes, Sir."

And so the work begins.

And the point of the post is? Listen to the Master Designer, beloved, and follow His good plans.

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Christmas Everywhere

 

"I bring you Good News that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David." (Luke 2:10-11)

People everywhere need the Christ of Christmas. Who do you that needs to hear His Good News? Go, beloved, tell it on the mountain, over the hills, and everywhere! Go tell that Jesus Christ was born, lived, died for mankind, arose, ascended, and is coming back!

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Unplugged

babygrand
(Picture has nothing to do with post, but isn't he cute!)

". . . If you remain in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." (John 15:5b)

A couple of hours before my two, online Bible studies on John 15 this morning, the power went out. Nothing I needed worked—not the computer, the internet service, a light switch or even the heater (and it was below freezing outside). However, the situation served as a perfect study illustration: a life unplugged from All-powerful Jesus can do absolutely nothing!

Stay plugged in, beloved, to Jesus Christ, His word, and His love!

"I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser . . . Just as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself but must remain in the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; the one who remains in Me, and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing . . . My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples." (John 15:1-8) 

"The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control . . . " (Galatians 5:22-23)

"You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that you fruit would remain . . . " (John 15:1-16)

 

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Faithful and Ready

 

"Be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning, as though you were waiting for your master to return . . . " (Luke 12:35)

Our five-year-old grandboy is always ready to help. On Saturday, he stacked load after load of firewood into his little, red wagon.

Yesterday, he helped Memaw and Granddaddy decorate the Christmas tree. 

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus taught a crowd of followers to always be faithful and ready to serve. "Be like men who are waiting for their master when he returns," He said. "Blessed are those servants whom the master will find on alert when he comes."

Oh, you better watch out, beloved! Watch out for opportunities to serve another today. It's the Christ-like thing to do.

"[Jesus] poured water into a basin and began to wash His disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was around His waist . . . 'I have given you an example that you should do as I have done for you.'" (John 13:5, 15)

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Tears in the Dishwater

 

"Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?" (Isaiah 43:19)

We celebrated Thanksgiving a new way yesterday: a picnic on the deck.

What a beautiful, wonderful, blessed, and glorious day. Thank You, Lord Jesus!

Standing over the sink washing dishes and listening to Christmas music, Alan Jackson's Let It Be Christmas unexpectedly brought tears dripping into the dishwater.  

Let it be Christmas everywhere

Let heavenly music fill the air

Let every heart sing let every bell ring

The story of hope and joy and peace

And let it be Christmas everywhere

Let heavenly music fill the air

Let anger and fear and hate disappear

Let there be love that lasts through the year

Let it be Christmas

Christmas everywhere!

I cried, "Please, please, Lord, please make anger and fear and hate disappear!" And Holy Spirit whispered, "That's been My plan all along."

Thank You, Abba Father, Lord Jesus, Holy Spirit — Three in One.

"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth passed away . . . And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, 'Behold, the tabernacle of God is among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.'" (Revelation 21:1-4)

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Happy Thanksgiving

 

grandboys stacking wood

"Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name! For the LORD is good and His love endures forever, His faithfulness continues through all generations." (Psalm 100:4-5)

Give thanks to God all day long, beloved! Happy Thanksgiving.

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Second Lap

 

My grandgirl and illustrator

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." (Galatian 6:9)

Yesterday at 7:53 P.M., I jotted the last words in the first draft of The Window at Willow Springs, next year's children's book. Today, the illustrating, editing, and cover designing begins.

Like writing a book, beloved, life is a marathon not a sprint. Persevere, run with Jesus, and don't give up!

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Antidepressants

 

Our beautiful Rebecca and babygrand

"But You, LORD, are a shield around me, my glory, and the One who lifts my head." (Psalm 3:3)

Antidepressants, take one or more daily as needed:

1. Write a letter to an elderly lady or gentleman.

2. Call someone and pray for them.

3. Pray fifteen minutes for widows, prisoners, and orphans.

4. Make cookies and take to a neighbor.

5. Text an encouraging Bible verse to three people.

6. Make a long list of things God has done for you and thank Him.

7. Pay for the car behind you in a drive-thru.

8. Take a walk in the sunshine and talk to Jesus.

9. Listen to "Sounds Like Reign" on YouTube.

10. Read Psalm 100 out loud.

"Set your minds on things that are above . . . " (Colossians 3:2)

"And do not be conformed to the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." (Romans 12:2)

"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if anything is worthy of praise, think about these things." (Philippians 4:8)

Do you feel better, beloved? I pray you do!

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