Raising the Sons of Earth

By Jennifer Smith

My house has not been clean since 2015. It used to glow with warmth and comfort and smell-goods. It does none of these things now. My home looks at me and says, “Jen, where did we go wrong?”

Listen y'all, I actually hired someone to clean my house. But with the layers of boydom scattered throughout the house it barely made a dent. It smelled better but there were still fruit loops embedded in the carpet by day’s end.

I scroll through the Book of Face and I can’t fathom how so many of you moms and dads keep amazingly clean homes. I mean, I can smell the thieves oil through my screen. You all will surely receive the crown of cleanliness in heaven. (Because cleanliness is next to Godliness. That’s in the bible, right? )

I will receive the crown of Gosh-girl-you-made-it-We-had-our-doubts-up-here. It will be made of worn out leggings, caramel coffee creamer, and empty bottles of dry shampoo.

My work on earth is a mod podge of many things, but the biggest work of all is raising these messy boys.

I was listening to the old tried and true carol Hark! The Herald Angels Sing! (which in today’s language can be translated to Hey! Listen! The angels are talking to us! Try singing that on Sunday and see what kind of looks the church peoples around you give. It’s like a game. It will be fun.)

Matt Maher has a great version of this carol. I’ve listened to it several times this season.

I've known all the verses for as long as I can remember. This is a standard from my childhood. But this year the third verse hit me hard and made the hair on my arms stand up:

Born to raise the sons of earth
Born to give them second birth. 

I thought, Hey! I do that, too!

I am currently raising sons of earth. Three of ‘em.

This is why my house smells like boy. Precious, hearts of gold, handsome, fun boy. But boy all the same.

Will you read the whole third verse with me? It goes like this:

Hail! the heaven-born 
Prince of peace! 
Hail! the Son of Righteousness! 
Light and life to all he brings, 
Risen with healing in his wings 
Mild he lays his glory by, 
Born that man no more may die: 
Born to raise the sons of earth, 
Born to give them second birth. 
Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn King!"

I love my children something fierce. I would go into flames for them, dive into water, I would do anything to save them. I care for their safety. I take them to the doctor, give them vitamins, and gave them the “tricky people” talk (Look it up. It’s good.). I will watch my children walk through the yard to make sure they get next door to my in-laws' house until I see Grammy and Pop’s door shut.

I do my best to keep them well and safe. But that’s where it ends. You see, one day, my children will face death. And there’s absolutely nothing I can do about that.

So I turn it over to the One who has already dealt with death for them. Did you hear it?

Light and life to all he brings, 
Risen with healing in his wings 
Mild he lays his glory by, 
Born that man no more may die: 

And then:

Born to raise the sons of earth, 
Born to give them second birth. 

I raise my sons, but I cannot raise them to heaven.
I gave birth to my sons, but I cannot deliver them from death.

It goes like this, from John 3:

Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”

Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”

“How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”

Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit."

You, dear reader, are a wonderful parent. You love, and kiss, and hug, and read all the stories, and play all the games. You provide shelter and safety. You provide traditions and cookies and Chuck E. Cheese.

But you cannot provide heaven.

Dear Reader, you must give your family the gift of church. You must give them the gift of Jesus. There are things you dear, wonderful, perfect mother cannot provide.

You know who needs raising, too? You. You count. Just as Jesus wants to raise your children, he wants to raise you too. He wants to give you light and life.

This is the kind of stuff that changes families. This is the kind of stuff that creates Christmas miracles.

So this year when you’re cleaning and earning that crown of cleanliness glory, when you’re buying the presents, when you’re making the Oreo balls (make an extra batch and drop them off at my house. I’ll PM you the address.), put take my family to church on the list. Better yet, put take my family to church every Sunday on the list. Also, put take my family to Sunday School or children’s church or connect group or life group or whatever the cool kids are calling it these days. Teenagers, too. TAKE YOUR TEENAGERS TO CHURCH. Tell them the phone bill or the car insurance will be paid through church attendance. Tell them this is their payment for ALL THE THINGS YOU BUY THEM. So what if they’re mad? My oldest is mad at me right now because I fussed at him for eating all the yogurt and I’m making him watch his baby brother so I can type this. And I don’t care. I provide him with access to Minecraft. He’ll get over it.

Wouldn’t it be something when we’re in heaven and we’re receiving our crowns and y’all are getting your cleanliness crowns and I’m getting my Wow, she actually made it crown, Jesus says something like:

Wait, here’s another crown. A crown for raising. Because you raised them to know me, I could raise them to heaven. Because my name was spoken in your home, your children confessed my name to the world.

Because we raise the sons and daughters of earth to know Jesus, because we birthed them into church, he could raise them from death and give them second birth.

Friend, receive the crown of pointing your children to Jesus. I hope you sing this carol this year with a fresh and new gusto. This carol of life and death and sin and redemption. Take your babes to church, wrap your arms around their precious shoulders and tell them about Jesus. Sing this hymn and whisper lovingly into their ears: “Hey! Listen! The angels are talking to us. And they’re telling us about our Savior.”

Rest.

I'm tired.

I'm the kind of tired that shows up on your face. In moments of where did those lines come from? And when did I start looking my age? I'm supposed to be perpetually 25.

This kind of tired really has nothing to do with the heaviness of my eyelids or the aches in my body. My heart is tired. My mind is tired. Life is good, but life is complicated. Because, well, the world is complicated. The world is imperfect and is full of imperfect people.

That's the recipe of life - 1 cup of good with a pinch of complicated and a heaping tablespoon of imperfection.

And that's okay. Jesus Himself told us what to expect from life:

In this world, you will have trouble, but take heart! I have overcome the world.

John 16:33

I'm tired. I need rest.

I don't mean hammock by the ocean rest, either. (Although, if anyone is offering this, I will not refuse. Private message me later.)

I need the kind of rest that calms my heart and my mind. The kind of rest where my soul, the very most inner part of me, takes a big breath and acknowledges her Creator.

Jesus tells me I will have trouble in this world. But He also tells me He has overcome it. He tells me to take heart! Which literally means to be of good cheer.

This cheer we should have isn't something we can create inside ourselves. God has to supply it. Isaiah 30:15 tells us this:

This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: 

"Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved. 

In quietness and confidence is your strength."

The only way I can cure my aching, aging, this-world-is-one-monkey-short-of-a-barrel-crazy is to return. When I return to my God and find rest in His holy, loving, perfect presence I see clearly that Jesus has overcome the crazy. That He has overcome the imperfect. I will come and sit in His presence. I will be quiet, knowing I need only to be and listen and feel loved. And I will be confident that this is enough. That God will take care of all that I need.

Because here my soul turns upward toward it's resting place, it's home.

I'm still going to be tired. My bones and brain and boy-raising heart need to make peace with the fact that this season of life is putting wrinkles on my face and gray in my hair.

But every day I turn to Him, the One who has overcome, and I whisper, "I'm so tired."

Then another whisper comes back in a burst of love and peace:

Then come, dear one. And rest.

A Lesson in God's Love From My Oven

Hello, friends! Please welcome back to the blog Hannah Clements, my dear friend who carries joy and wisdom like a mantle. Listen in as she learns a lesson in God's goodness from...her oven. 

My oven is old, I like to think vintage, maybe an antique.

My oven is impossible to clean. It holds years of meals and burnt grease. When the oven light is off, it appears clean(er). It hides its stains and grime in the darkness. The oven light exposes its true character.

Today, the light exposed burnt spaghetti sauce, a popcorn kernel, and an occasional husky hair amongst its old grease. I saw the mess and was tempted to turn the light off and let it linger in the darkness, but I have dinner guest coming and a messy oven won't do.

While wiping away grease and grime, God reminded me that light exposes our sin.

"Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and dispose the motives of men's hearts, and then each man's praise will come to Him from God." 1 Corinthians 4:5. 

We may think we are hiding in the darkness but nothing can separate us from God's love. Light pierces darkness:

"The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it." John 1:5 

Praise Jesus because He doesn't just expose our mess and grime but He stays around to clean and restore us. Psalm 51:7 says, "Purify me from my sins and I will be whiter than snow."

Praise Him because He doesn't turn a blind eye on our darkness but He cleanses us - loving us too much to let us remain in the our dirty form.

Oh Lord, "Search me and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. point out anything in me that offends you and lead me along the path of everlasting life." Psalm 139:23-24

Amen.

Consider it Joy (to the World)

This is the season of joy, right?

Joy to the World! The Lord has come! 

Good tidings of comfort of joy! 

But what if, during the Season of Joy, I feel anything but joyful? What if life has thrown me a curve ball and the unexpected or the unwelcome has happened? What if the joy in my heart has faded?

If you're anything like me you've walked through these times of joylessness. We realize during these times that joy isn't vital to brainwaves and heartbeats, but joy is vital to living the way God intends us to live. We are called to abundant, joyful lives as Jesus tells us in John 10.

Oh, Lord. The circumstances of life have taken my joy. The path You have called me to walk brings a sorrow to my life. So what do I do with the darkness and pain You've let me encounter?

Beloved, consider it joy.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

James 1:2-4

Or, as the Message version translates it:

Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.

Here's the thing: we don't always get to pick the paths we walk down in life. God directs our paths and these paths are not always well-paved and peaceful. Sometimes the path God chooses for us seems dark and painful. Sometimes the Way is not the way we would choose for ourselves.

But it's not our call. Isaiah 30 tells us that even when we "eat the bread of adversity and drink the water of affliction", His presence will be with us saying, "This is the way, walk in it."

So maybe God has called you down a bramble and thorn-filled path, but we are to consider it joy, a gift. We are to rejoice in our troubles because God is using them for good. God uses our troubles to make us better, to refine us.

This path, friend, counts for something. Your pain, your sorrow, your loss. It means something. God loves you enough to make you uncomfortable. He loves you enough to lead you through the valleys, so your mountaintops will be sweeter.

I don't pretend to know why God has asked you to walk through your particular trial. But I do know that your trial is very precious in the sight of God. I know that He has promised to walk with you through it.

I also know He has told you to rejoice and have joy in your trial. Your trail will deepen your faith and deepen your need for Him. 

And when the road is finished and the time of darkness has passed, you will have been shaped into a new and better version of yourself. A version that does not depend on circumstances for your joy. Instead you'll be someone who finds joy in one place and one place alone. 

Because, as the song says, the moment the Lord came, angels declared joy to the world. Our joy, true and deep and real joy, comes from Jesus alone. 

So, consider it joy, friends. Consider the path He has called you to walk as joy. Each sad and painful step will lead you closer to Jesus.

And knowing Jesus is knowing the best kind of joy there is.

Tidings of Comfort and Joy

God rest ye merry, gentlemen

Let nothing you dismay

Remember, Christ, our Savior

Was born on Christmas day

To save us all from Satan's power

When we were gone astray

O tidings of comfort and joy,

Comfort and joy

O tidings of comfort and joy

"Comfort, comfort my people,"

    says your God.

"Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,

    and proclaim to her

that her hard service has been completed,

    that her sin has been paid for."

Isaiah 40:1-2

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people."

Luke 2:10

I wonder what the world looked like on the night Jesus was born. Not the landscapes or the climates, but its heart. What was brewing inside the heart of men? Had God forgotten His people? The physical night was dark, but darkness was settling into the hearts of mankind, too. Whether a member of the Hebrew nation or not, I wonder if those living on the earth felt a lack of....something.

A lack of purpose or hope or redemption.

Or Comfort and Joy.

We've got some basic needs in this human shell we live in: food, water, shelter, oxygen, clothing. But there's something about the lack of comfort and joy that make daily living almost impossible. Without comfort and joy we have to remind ourselves to breathe or to get out of bed in the morning.

There are times when you're without comfort of mind and spirit as you walk through dark days and other times when the joy of your heart seems to have disappeared. Comfort and joy do not give us physical life, but friend, they most certainly give us abundant life.

And Jesus says, "I have come that they may have life and have it abundantly." (John 10:10)

Our good and gracious heavenly Father sent His Son to provide even more than the salvation of our souls and He wishes to supply more than just our basic needs. He sent His Son to provide you with tender comfort for your hurts and doubts, and great joy for the beautiful hope that is ahead of you.

On that dark night when the angels appeared to the shepherds with their words of Good News, they were exclaiming more than precious eternal salvation, they were telling us that in this life, as we wander in this human form, that there is much to be had here, too. That comfort and joy are things God wishes to give us now.

My human shell walks through times of plenty, health, success, and prosperity.

But it also walks through times of sorrow, uncertainty, fear, and longing.

But through all these seasons there is comfort from a Good Father and joy in the hope of the Coming Christ.

So, this Advent, let me be the first to say to you, no matter what season you may find yourself, dear friend:

I bid you good tidings of comfort and joy from a Good Father and a Coming Christ.

The Fruit Tree

While wandering through my mother's beautiful backyard yesterday I asked her about three craggy trees situated on the border of the adjoining hay field. "When did you plant those trees? Are they new?"

"No, we planted them about ten years ago."

Obviously, I should work on my observation skills.

For whatever reason on this particular visit to my parents' house these trees made an impression on me. For the first time in ten years I walked over to the little grove and explored the small fruit growing on the branches. "Are these apples?"

"No, those are peaches."

Okay....so I'm no fruit expert either. And apparently, I have no common sense.

Intrigued by the peach grove growing for the past decade in my parents' backyard that I knew nothing about I asked, "How do they do? Do you get a lot of peaches (NOT apples)?"

"When Rick was working at the Research Station and he had more time to treat them they did really well. We get some peaches now, just not as pretty or as many."

See, my stepdad is a retired scientist/farmer. He spent many years growing crops at a research facility funded by N.C. State. He figured out how to get the best fruits in the best ways. So that big, juicy summer tomato you put on your BLT today?

Dad says, "You're welcome."

But he retired from that line of work a few years ago and now serves as my hometown's Fire Chief. There's not much time for constant gardening any more.

I'm wondering if the reason I was drawn to the fruit trees was because of Jesus' words in Matthew 12:33 I had just read that morning:

Good trees produce good fruits; bad trees produce bad fruits. 

You can always tell a tree by its fruits.

I think about the fruits that I produce. I think about the Fruits of the Spirit which are feelings and actions that should occur in my life because I walk with Jesus: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control.

Wow. That list seems wholly unobtainable. Has God even met me? I can immediately slash like, six of those off the list that makes up the person called Jennifer.

Because I try to produce good fruit. I try to bring people to the Lord, try to be a patient mother to my children, try to be a faithful friend, a kind wife, a joyful soldier of the Lord. I try to exhibit self-control with my words, my habits, my checkbook. I try to be good and gentle. Boy, how I try to love.

But guess what? Flat. I fall flat every time. And the fruit that I produce? It looks nothing like the fruit of a Master Gardener. In fact it looks so little like His fruit that it resembles a puny looking peach that could be confused for an apple.

When I am not in contact with my Master Gardener I do not produce good fruit. I mean, I'll produce fruit. There will be some gentleness, some kindness, some love. But it will ultimately look like that peach. A peach with so much fuzzy, juicy potential, but because it wasn't tended by the Holy Spirit that beautiful fruit ended up being so much less than it could be.

Jesus said a good tree produces good fruit. And, quite simply, I cannot be a good tree with good fruit unless I am under the care of an Expert. A Gardener who has the best in mind for me. He knows exactly what I need to produce vibrant, lovely fruit. He supplies me with sustenance and sun. He gives me strength and vitality. He gives me shelter and keeps me safe.

I can produce fruit without Jesus. But, friends - it's bad. It looks like this world and tastes sour. It isn't vibrant or plentiful. It is rotten and sparse. My fruit is only good if I am in the keeping of a Constant Gardener.

A Gardener who has rooted me in love.

I want the fruit I give this world to be bright and just plain good. I can't give that to the world without His care, His closeness.

I may not know an apple from a peach, but I do know this: apart from my Gardener I am just no good. Filled with good intentions, maybe, but I will yield bad fruit nonetheless. John 15:5 says that apart from Jesus "we can do nothing."

So in order to yield this good fruit I will be devoted this day in prayer, in worship, in Bible study. I will live today knowing that I have nothing good to give this world, but, through me, Jesus can create beautiful things. I will be known for my fruit, or my actions (Matthew 7:20). Oh and how I want my actions to be helpful, and generous, and good.

Good fruit from a good Gardener. Bind the tree that is me close to you, Lord. Root me in love, Jesus. And let the harvest be plentiful.

Lord, may it be so.

Jesus, Teach Me

My prayer recently has been, "Jesus, teach me." I forget that I am His disciple. Not a disciple of culture. Not a disciple of religion. Not a disciple of a region or a political party. Not a disciple of law. I am a disciple of love.

Jesus, teach me.

If you're like me you may be feeling like the kid in the cafeteria that no one wants to talk to. In the lunchroom that is the world, here I am standing with my tray, looking with eager eyes. Who wants to sit with me? I'm nice, I'm loving. I serve a great and generous Father.

But the world turns away from me, the Christian, this Jesus follower, labeling me trouble, calling me ugly names. So I sit alone, eating my PB and J, with great love in my heart for those who have rejected me. But what did I expect, really?

What did we think would happen? Did we think Jesus Christ would be proved a liar? This is not news to me that Christians the world over are being rejected, persecuted. And we, who feel sad when those on something as lame as social media don't understand our faith, stand in miniature to truly persecuted Christians:

Saeed Abedini, an American pastor who has been unlawfully imprisoned in Iran for almost three years. 

Yat Michael Ruot and Peter Yein Reit, two pastors in Sudan who face the death penalty for practicing their faith. 

Asia Bibi, a mother in Pakistan on trial for being a Christian who drank out of the same cup as Muslims.

Churches being burned in our own country.

Countless others.

Jesus, teach me.

Here's the bad news: Jesus was right. Christians worldwide are facing intense persecution.

“If you find the godless world is hating you, remember it got its start hating me. If you lived on the world’s terms, the world would love you as one of its own. But since I picked you to live on God’s terms and no longer on the world’s terms, the world is going to hate you." (‭John‬ ‭15‬:‭18-19‬ MSG)

Here's the good news: Jesus was right.

Jesus told me that I don't live here, not really. I'm just staying here for now. He told me that the world will hate me. And if it hates me...I should rejoice. I should be filled with joy.

“You’re blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God’s kingdom. Not only that—count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens—give a cheer, even!—for though they don’t like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble." (‭Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭10-12‬ MSG)

So, if you're confused or disheartened by Christian persecution, I'm confused by you. Through this persecution Jesus has been proved right yet again. And if He's right about all the bad stuff then He's right about all the good:

"In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I’ve conquered the world.” (‭John‬ ‭16‬:‭31-33‬ MSG)

So what exactly are we supposed to do in this world in which we don't belong?

Jesus, teach me.

“Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven." (‭Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭14-16‬ MSG)

Do I share His light? Do I rejoice in it? Do I give and love without limits? Do I claim the Name of Jesus, lover of all humanity? Or do I claim a name that loves only people who look like me?

Oh Jesus, teach me.

I pray for a new era of belief in Jesus. I see people coming to the Lord not because culture tells them good people go to church (because this is certainly not the case anymore). I see people coming to Jesus because they want to. Because they see a persecuted church and see the persecuted rejoicing and being open and generous with our lives.

They see a generous Father and a Risen Christ that is always true. And persecuted or not, they join right in. At our lunch table.

Lord, may it be so.

He Speaks

What does it sound like when God speaks? Is it crashes and booms? A thunderous deep voice that sounds like James Earl Jones and Morgan Freeman combined? Does God have a British accent?

It seems these are the ways the voice of God is portrayed. And I don't know, maybe sometimes He speaks this way. But in all personal stories I've heard, including my own, God's voice sounds nothing like Darth Vader.

So He said, "Go forth and stand on the mountain before the LORD." And behold, the LORD was passing by! And a great and strong wind was rending the mountains and breaking in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12After the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a gentle whisper. 13When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. And behold, a voice came to him and said, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"

1 Kings 19:11-13

Did you catch it? God's voice wasn't found in the gale force winds, the earthquake, or the fire. 

His voice was the whisper. The soft, gentle whisper to His beloved Elijah.

Just as God gives individual gifts to every human being, He speaks to us in individual ways. Ways that only our person would understand. Ways that only you would pay attention to. Jesus always spoke to the individual in topics and settings that person would connect with. He'll do the same for you. God seeks to speak your language.

For me? It's birdsong. Even now I hear a happy sparrow outside my bedroom window. My heart swells hearing that little bird, knowing his song and my heart are one in worship. I have heard birdsong in times when I've needed comfort, healing, or an outlet to express joy. This is God's voice to me. His presence shared.

I'm a big believer that those who belong to God are not subject to coincidence. Your God is intentional with every detail of your day. If a certain song comes on the radio, or a special friend who you were just thinking of calls, or you simply see a repeated word throughout the course of a day: this is God speaking.

Our culture has told us that God speaks in thunderstorms. Any maybe sometimes that's true. But I believe God mostly speaks in delightful morning mists: a barely there sensation, but enough to renew and refresh.

When God spoke in 1 Kings 19 He asked a question - but He also spoke a name: "What are you doing here, Elijah?"

He calls us by name in His gentle whisper.

We learn in the rest of this passage that Elijah was in fear for His life and that He was seeking the protection and solace of God. God provided this for Elijah in abundance. He does this for us, too. He shares with us that His might and glory are powerful enough to reshape mountains through wind, earthquake, and fire. This is the greatness of God.

But when He speaks to us, His beloved, He stoops down, takes us gently by the hand and whispers, "Darling, I am here. How can I help you?" This is the goodness of God.

So here is your challenge, friend. Knowing that God speaks to you - how does He do it? I'd love if you'd share in the comments or on Facebook.

He is your Shepherd. You are His sheep. You know His voice. (John 10:27)

Lord, may it be so.

Reflecting the Light

I am the moon. I am present, glowing in the dark night of this world. 

I go through phases. I can be full and bold for the name of Jesus. I can have doubt and lack faith and be nothing but a sliver of a crescent. 

I can be so filled with love for my Savior that my heart is as big and orange as a harvest moon. Sometimes I choose to let the darkness overpower me and I'm left as nothing but a blackened shape, eclipsed by sin. 

I wax and wane based on emotions, thought patterns, and circumstances. Once in a blue moon I will do something of value. 

The moon, like me, is not constant. We are very much stuck in our changing ways, desperate to somehow give light to the world.

Sometimes the light we give is so brilliant that it can illuminate someone's darkest night.

And sometimes we strain to create the smallest glimmer and resemble the crooked smile of the Cheshire Cat.

But, then again, I'm not in charge of creating my own light, am I? 

I'm just the moon.

"He himself (John the Baptist) was not the light; he came only as a witness to the Light."

John 1:8

The moon does not create its own light. I do not create my own light.

The moon's light is a reflection of the sun. My light is a reflection of the Son.

What a responsibility to be a light to others. To be the light of someone's life. A responsibility too great for me to carry. So I will instead be a reflection of THE Light. I will, in all I say and do, be a reflection of Jesus.

Just as John the Baptist was not the light, I am not the light. I am simply a witness of what the Light of the World, Jesus Christ, has done for me.

And why?

"That through him (John the Baptist and you and me) all men might believe."

John 1:7

I am the moon. I have no light of my own to give mankind. But when I reflect the Son I become bright enough to cut through the darkness of night.

I become a reflection and my reflection becomes a witness to "the True Light that gives light to every man." (John 1:9)

Because the point of the moon? The point of the moon is to receive light and then give it away.

So let's go today. Let's share the testimony of all the Son has done for us and let that testimony lead others to seek the Light for themselves. 

Lord, may it be so. 

The Mind of Christ

We speak what we think. No thought comes out of our mouths that first did not take up residence in our brain. For better or for worse, our words reveal our minds.

My mind is silly, curious, intentional, efficient, and full of random trivia facts. (Seriously. No one will play against me in Trivia Crack anymore.) 

My mind can also be a dark, scary place. 

Sometimes being inside my mind can be too much. Do you ever feel this way? When you need to escape and break free? 

Usually these are the times when we eat too much ice cream while we binge watch Friday Night Lights on Netflix. 

But what if there was something better for us? What if we could shed our minds and find the mind of Christ?

1 Corinthians 2 tells us if we are in the Holy Spirit, which is a gift freely given to those who have accepted Jesus as their Savior, then we have been given an incredible insight -

To know the mind of Christ.

“For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” 

But we have the mind of Christ.

1 Corinthians 2:16

To know the mind of Christ is an insight that sages, sorcerers, kings, and conjurers have longed for for centuries. To know the mind of a deity! To know the wisdom of the ages!

And friend, we are freely given that gift from our Father in heaven.

Incredible.

So what exactly is on the mind of Christ? How can we even begin to discern this? It seems too great a task.

Oh, but friends, when God gives you a gift He will help you to unwrap it:

Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, 

that we might understand the things freely given us by God. 

1 Corinthians 2:12

We speak what we think. And Jesus was no different. As we reflect on Easter Sunday, let's reflect on the seven statements of Jesus on the cross. He spoke what he thought. Let's look into the mind of Christ:

1. His mind was on forgiveness.  In Luke 23:34 Jesus spoke, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." 

The mind of Christ is a mind of forgiveness.

2. His mind was on the repentance of sinners. In Luke 23:43 Jesus spoke, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise" to the thief who believed in the sovereignty of Jesus.

The mind of Christ is a mind that loves the sinner.

3. His mind was on humanity. In John 19:26-27 Jesus spoke to John the Beloved, telling him to watch over His mother. 

The mind of Christ is a mind that remembers the emotional and physical needs of humanity.

4. His mind was on the weight of sin. In Matthew 27:46 Jesus spoke, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"

The mind of Christ is a mind that knows the darkness of sin.

5. His mind was on His mission as Messiah. In John 19:28 Jesus spoke, "I am thirsty."

The mind of Christ is a mind that knew all scripture written of Him (including this passage in Psalm where the Messiah is given vinegar to drink) must be fulfilled.

6. His mind was on salvation. In John 19:30 Jesus spoke, "It is finished."

The mind of Christ is a mind that came to finish death.

7. His mind was on trusting God. In Luke 23:46 Jesus spoke, "Father, into Your hands I commit My Spirit."

The mind of Christ is a mind that believed in His Father.

So, tell me. What is on the mind of Christ?

Dear one, do you see it?

It's you.

Your forgiveness.

Your repentance from sin.

Your humanity.

Your sin and its weight.

Your need for a Messiah.

Your salvation.

Your redemption through God's grand plan.

The point of Easter...is you.

He knew me, yet He loved me

He whose glory makes the heavens shine

So unworthy of such mercy

Yet when He was on the cross

I was on His mind*

The mind of Christ is on you. So make your mind about Christ.

Risen Lord Jesus,

In humility I say:

Thank You.

Lord, may it be so.

*written by Ronnie Hinson

The Sun and the Son

I am cold all the time. Unless it is a solid 80 degrees in a room I will need a sweater. Or better yet, a Snuggie. I have just resigned myself to the fact that from October to April wearing cute clothes is not necessary because they will be covered up by a large coat.

Do you know what the absolute best feeling is to this cold-natured gal?

Recess at 12:30 every day.

Stepping out of the school building onto the playground and feeling the bright, warm sun shining on you. You know that kind of warmth I'm talking about. The Vitamin D almost tangibly soaking into your skin?

I see it in every child as they reach the door. The walk becomes a run. The quiet, inside-voice becomes a shout. The "I just took another assessment" face becomes the "I'm a kid again" grin.

I mean, even the smallest child knows that all living things need the sun, right? I can ask my five year old: "Buddy, what does a plant need to grow big?"

"Water and sun." (He's a genius! Surely some famous botanist in the making.)

Kidding aside, even a Kindergartener knows that living things thrive in the sunlight.

So, ahem. An ode to the sun:

I love the sun
Not because I can see it
But because I can feel its warmth
It reinvigorates my weary bones
Brightens my perspective
Makes my heart take a deep breath
Reassures me of goodness
Chases away the blackest night
In the sun, I find the source of my very existence
In its light is my very life

Now, I bet if you listed all the reasons you love Jesus it would read exactly the same way.

Let's try:

I love the Son
Not because I can see Him
But because I can feel His warmth
He reinvigorates my weary bones
Brightens my perspective
Makes my heart take a deep breath
Reassures me of goodness
Chases away the blackest night
In the Son, I find the source of my very existence
In His light is my very life

Matthew 4:16, referencing Isaiah 9:2 says this:

The people living in darkness

have seen a great light; 

on those living in the land of the shadow of death

a light has dawned.

Before Jesus came, the world had been living in a long, dark night. Clouds covered the moon. There was not a star to be seen.

But He came. And He ushered in the dawn.

Then He appeared and the soul felt its worth.

Because the weight of darkness is heavy.

But the light of Jesus is light - as a feather.

I hope we realize that before Jesus came we walked in the valley of death. There was no mercy, no grace, no future.

We walked in cold, darkness.

But then! He came and all these things were supplied - in abundance.

Job 38:19-20 says,

What is the way to the abode of light?

And where does darkness reside? Can you take

them to their places? Do you know the paths to their dwelling?

I know where darkness lives. I've seen it in the world. I've seen it in me.

But, I know where light lives, too. And True Light only lives with my Jesus. Because He is that light. 

See, the sun and the Son have much in common. They renew. They reveal things unseen in darkness. In their presence I draw strength. In them is life.

This week is Holy Week. The week we remember the days and events leading up to the resurrection of Jesus. I need to prepare my heart for such a celebration. So today and every day this week I will:

Dwell in light.

Choose light.

Look for light.

Darkness has no place with me. I am a child of Light! (Ephesians 5:8) 

Again, Jesus spoke to them saying,

I am the light of the world.

Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness,

but will have the light of life.

John 8:12

The Light of the world lives in me. I would do well to remember it.

Precious Jesus, Light of the World,

Create in us a heart that is aflame with holy light.

Lord, may it be so.

The Top of My List

Let's face it. We're busy people. From sunrise to three hours past sunset our day is filled with items on a To Do List:

Wake up, get ready, kids ready, kids breakfast, commute, school, work, errands, dinner, homework, laundry, housework, bills paid, trash out. Fall into bed. Exhausted.

Your list may or may not resemble this one, but either way you have a list so long that it is never truly completed. It is copied and replicated many times over as each day passes.

Such is life. If you're like me you don't mind your list so much. I mean, your list is your life. I love my job. Love cooking for my family. Love shushing my boys to sleep. Busy-ness does not always equal unhappiness.

But sometimes my list is so busy that I misplace my priorities and don't have time for the one thing that should always be first on my list:

Time with God.

I haven't always been a Christian who devotes daily time to the Lord. In fact, there was a time when I thought I didn't need intentional time with God in prayer and in the Bible. I mean, I grew up in church. I'd read the Bible. Well, I'd read most of it...parts of it. I knew right and wrong. (Did I?)

But friends, daily time with God is so much more than an item I check off my list.

It's sustenance for my soul.
Expansion of my mind.
Awareness of things unseen.
Inhaling the sweetness of glory.
Finding who I am in Jesus.
Communing with my Creator.

See, if we are of Jesus we are not of this world. And, for lack of a better term, my time with the Lord is like a phone call from my home planet. From heaven.

It's my E.T. Phone Home. Without it I am weaker, duller, and out of touch with who I am. I cannot be all that Christ has called me to be without communion with Him.

So this past week, a busy week, full of long work days, grocery store runs (the folks at Bi-Lo and I are on a first name basis), and playing in the yard with my kids I let Him fall off of my list -

a list that He should consume.

And I felt it. In my relationships, routines, and running errands. There was a dullness, a missing joy.

In order for me to experience the fullness of life that Jesus spoke of in John 10:10, I need to be first filled with Him.  Because in consuming my list, He consumes my life. 

James 4:8 says, "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you."

Daily I want to draw near to Him through prayer, praise, and reading His Word. Whether it's ten minutes or sixty. A verse, a chapter, or an entire book. I need to spend time with my Jesus. Daily.

Because I'm an alien here. And I need my connection with Him to hold strong and fast. Like we sing in "Come Thou Fount":

Let they goodness
Like a tether
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.

Oh, because Jesus...my Jesus. I cannot be fully myself if I am not filled with Him.

My Jesus,

Gently draw me toward time spent with you. Remind me that you hold all that is true and good and best for me. When I come to the Rock that is higher than I (Psalm 61:2) bless me for it. Show me that time spent with You is not just another box on my list, but is the means through which I have the strength and joy to complete all the rest.

Lord, may it be so.

The One Who Loves You More

To be perfectly honest, I'm a take-it or leave-it kind of gal when it comes to Valentine's Day.  Now I certainly love celebrating love, but I am not a big fan of hype.  And Valentine's Day never quite lives up to what is anticipated as things with much hype tend to do.  (I'm serious.  Think about this past New Year's Eve.  Expectation:  glitter, champagne, fancy clothes.  Reality:  Cheetos, Ryan Seacrest, and your footie pajamas.  Bed by 9:30.)

While I may not put much stock in Valentine's Day, I do put much value in being loved.  Don't you feel it in your chest, in that space above your heart? The desire to be loved?  Not just respected or admired (although these things are of the utmost importance, too), but to be loved?

I'm not just talking about romantic love.  Love comes in many forms - from parents, friends, girlfriends, boyfriends, children, and spouses.  When you feel someone love you with pure, unapologetic abandon - this is a beautiful thing that answers a need in your soul.

There's a reason love makes us feel so good.  Genesis 2:18 tells us that God made Eve for Adam because it "wasn't good for man to be alone."  Jesus commanded us in John 15:12 that we are to "love one another" as He loved us. And, my goodness, let's not forget I John 4:8:  "God is love."  Simple - you feel love, you feel God Himself.

The love humankind has for each other is God come down to dwell with us, in us.  My dear grandmother, who will be 97 this month, lives the most authentic relationship with Jesus I have ever seen or may ever see in my life.  A few years ago she dreamed she was in heaven.  While there in her dream she said, "I felt love flowing through my veins."

Love, my friends, is the language of heaven.

And God speaks this language to us now every time our heart thumps with emotion at those He has sweetly placed in our lives.  This is something to be treasured.  But if we think this serves as our fill of love we are sorely mistaken and missing another, more valuable treasure.

My mother tells a story of the day my second son was born.  She still had not arrived at the hospital when I was being wheeled into the OR for a c-section. She recalls crying in the car and whispering to God, "But she's my baby.  I should be there.  I'm her mother."

Jesus tenderly whispered back, "But I'm her Savior.  I love her more."

I think of my husband.  He woke up three times with our crying two-year-old last night.  Why?  Because he wanted me to be able to sleep.  That's love.

But there is One who loves more.

Can you picture your mother?  She packed your lunches and probably still calls you every day.  She prayed over you with tears during your most trying times. That's love.

But there is One who loves more.

How about your dad?  My father-in-law once drove an hour and fifteen minutes to help my sister-in-law hang a shower curtain rod in her new apartment. That's love.

But there is One who loves more.

Think about your dearest friends.  My friend Jennifer will ask me if I need help for an upcoming event before I can even think to ask.  That's love.

But there is One who loves more.

And what about our precious children?  Whether they share our last name or are only ours during school hours or Sunday school time.  A hug from a peanut butter and jelly covered five-year-old?  That's love.

But there is One who loves more.

These precious people God has placed in our lives are just the ultimate, aren't they?  Joy-inducing, heart-bursting, honest-to-goodness gifts.

But none of them left a heavenly throne, suffered at the hands of evil, and overcame death for you.

See, Jesus loves you more.

Revelation 19:11 tells us the story of "the Rider on the white horse."  He is dressed in white and leads the armies of heaven.  He comes to earth to vanquish evil and wipe away the tears of His people.  He is called King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Maybe you've been fortunate enough to receive the love of spouses, mothers, fathers, friends, and children.  Praise God for those blessings!

But maybe you've been hurt by lack of love.  Suffered the loss of a mother or a child.  Never knew your father.  Were betrayed by your best friend.

Friend, if that latter category is familiar, boy do I have good news.

You see, that Rider on the white horse?  Our precious Jesus?  Revelation also gives Him another name:

I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, 

whose rider is called Faithful and True.     

(emphasis mine)

And there He is, the One who loves you most.  And He is not confined to things we humans are:  to death, abandonment, loneliness, loss, betrayal.  Nothing can separate us from His love (Romans 8:38).  Nothing.  Because His love is limitless and carries no trace of human weakness.  His law?  It's pure love (2 John 1:6).  

In His perfection He has committed Himself to you.  He has named Himself for you - "Faithful and True to (insert-your-name-here)".  

And your name?  My friend, it's engraved on the palms of His hands (Isaiah 49:16).  

So let's celebrate the people whom God has placed in our lives.  Let's love them and appreciate them.  But in a place of honor, held high in our hearts, let's celebrate Jesus. 

Because He loves you more.

Oh, Faithful and True:

Let us remember that Your love is Perfect.  Let us remember that You will never leave us nor forsake us.  Why?  Because it is against Your very nature.  It is impossible for You to let go of what You have claimed.  Let us return Your love in the best ways we can:  by recognizing it and showing obedience to Your Law.  The Law that just happens to be love, too.

Lord, may it be so.