Lately it seems that all we see and hear about on the news is Coronavirus 19. News casts are dedicating nearly every minute to the pandemic. They report on the rising number of confirmed cases and unfortunately deaths from this invisible enemy. Recently we have learned to “social distance” ourselves and that hand sanitizer is a hot commodity.  That we need hoards of toilet paper, cleaning products and non-perishables to survive. Even if this means that others will go without.

It’s easy to get discouraged and feel afraid when the world that we know has turned upside town. We can’t go about our lives as freely as before and must learn a new way of living.  It’s no longer about what’s best for the individual but what’s best for us all. Especially our most vulnerable populations.

Trials can be difficult and we would prefer not to have them. But trials are necessary to help us to grow. They bring our focus back to what’s important. We learn to endure when we experience trials which make us stronger and better ready for others that will surely come. They build our spiritual muscles.

Here are some ways to remain steady in our Hope and Faith in God right now:

•  Make prayer a priority each day. Choose a dedicated time if you can and let God know how grateful you are for his love and mercy. Give thanks for all that’s been given by him. Pray for our leaders in government and church and for the world. Pray for your loved ones and friends.
•  Listen to worship and praise music. Sing along and/or dance if you would like.
• Pray with other believers. In person may not be possible now but you can arrange a conference call, a video chat or set a specific time when you can agree to pray at the same time. Matthew 18:20 – “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them”.
• Don’t let your mind focus on the negative. What we put our energy into will grow.
• Look for ways to help others. Grocery shop for someone who can’t go out or donate to a charity that helps the less fortunate. Many will become food and housing insecure as jobs are lost due to pandemic management.

Additionally make sure that you include activities that promote health and wellness.

• Take a walk outside, practice yoga or dance by yourself or with family and friends.
• Don’t zone out on the sofa watching television. Pick-up a book, play a board game or complete a puzzle.
• Eat three balanced meals a day with a healthy snack. Don’t overindulge on junk food.
• Drink enough water to stay hydrated.
• Keep a regular routine. Get up and go to bed around the same time. Avoid watching television or trolling social media right before bed. Don’t let the last thing you see or read about be negative. This can cause restlessness.
• Practice meditation. There are plenty of Apps for phones and videos on the internet where sessions can be accessed. Many are free or low cost.
• Make sure you smile and engage in laughter. There’s an old saying that goes: “Laughter is the best medicine”.
•   Keep a positive attitude.

God is here with us and on his throne. He’s in control. Let’s remember this so our fears don’t overtake us.

Wow. It’s so amazing that an entire year has passed and it’s Christmas Eve once again. Many of us may still be shopping for last minute gifts, wrapping presents or getting ready to attend a church service tonight. If you have young children you may be prepping for a long night of assembling doll houses or bicycles. Many may be curious as to what gifts await them under the Christmas tree. Will I really get what I asked or hoped for this year?

Unfortunately many may be disappointed as they go to the tree on Christmas morning and not find what they were expecting. Or if they do the impact and excitement over receiving something dissipates by noon. Has this ever happened to you? Well fortunately this wasn’t the case for the shepherds who heard of the impending birth of Jesus and set out on a journey to find him.

What had the shepherds been told? Luke 2: 9-12 says ^” 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: 16-18; 20 says “So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child,  and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them….  The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.”

What has the shepherds been told? They were told by an angel that the greatest gift to this world…a Savior for us all was being born and they should go, see and then tell others of this gift. Fortunately for them and the rest of us this gift was there as promised and this gift continues to give to us to this day. This is one gift that you don’t have to worry about being able to afford or that it will run-out. This gift is available to anyone who admits to the Lord that they have sinned and they want to accept Christ as their Savior; therefore being granted eternal life as opposed to death.

As recipients of this great gift we as beneficiaries should see it as a duty to do as the shepherds did and tell others of what we have been given. Sharing the Good News is the a priceless act that ensures that all of the world can learn of the goodness of our Christ Jesus.

So, as this Christmas comes and passes, don’t forget about the gift of Jesus like we may other presents we receive. Keep him with you always, live your life in a manner that reflects his virtues and tell others whenever you can. This may not always feel comfortable but a few seconds of discomfort on our part could spare someone an eternity of being separated from Christ in Heaven.

Have you ever had dreams, bad dreams, about things that have caused you great distress or even worse trauma? I’ve heard it said that dreams are the window to our soul. What we don’t understand or want to process during the waking hours manifest while we sleep. Every so often I dream about being in one or both of my childhood homes. These “visits” very rarely feel happy but rather frightful, chaotic, angry and lonely. A pretty good reflection of my life during that time. I always had to be on egg shells wondering when my father was going to explode. Would it be someone dropping a pan or the telephone ringing or simply asking him a question? What mistake would I make to be called names or made fun of? Or if it was my mother when would she give me the silent treatment for disobeying or tell me that no one would want to marry me because I was damaged goods? So much negativity which I absorbed like a sponge and has continued to impact my life up until a few days ago when I decided I’d had enough and didn’t want to be controlled by pass memories.

But what could I do to move forward? How or who could help me to not be afraid of being in those places that caused so much pain while growing up? I thought about God and then forgiveness. Forgiving can set us free from our pain. It won’t erase what happened but forgiveness will allow us to move away from it and start anew. Knowing that God forgives and he has forgiven me made this easier to do. None of us are perfect and we need to remember that when others hurt us. People who hurt, hurt others. Being a forgiving person can take away the power of the devil’s lies that tell us we are who or what people say we are instead of God says. Colossians 3:13 says “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”

Look at this… https://pin.it/yzlhjjbakjky2h

This post comes on the heels of yet two more mass shootings over the past weekend as well as countless other single shooting deaths that may or may not have made the news all over the country. When tragedy occurs we all may feel shocked at first and ask the inevitable “Why?”. I know the answer to this question and it’s because we live in a fallen world and until Jesus returns there will continue to be great sin and depravity amongst men.

This is the same answer to the question I have posed for this blog “When will we finally stop splitting hairs when it comes to God’s commands?”. The focus of the shootings and subsequent level of outrage shouldn’t be based on the “Why” of why people were killed i.e. race, religion, ethnicity, political views, ect.. but that these actions go against God’s command of “Thou shall not kill”. That’s what needs to be driven home.

So what can we do as Christians while we wait for Jesus to return? Spread the Gospel as much as you can whenever you can. Show God’s love to others and that there is a better path that we can follow in this life. Whatever is happening now is only temporary and this isn’t our eternal home. Heaven is our eternal home. 1st Peter 1:25 says: “But the word of the Lord remains forever. And that word is the Good News that was preached to you.”

This morning I woke up anxious and worried about my older son. He’s completing an internship this summer in another state. I had no specific reason for these thoughts. They started to grow so much that I believed I was going to have a panic attack. I called my husband and told him what was happening and asked that he talk to me and help me calm down. This helped but I also did something I don’t typically do which was fall to my knees beside my bed in prayer. I asked God to keep him and my other children safe but also told Him that I believed this was just an attack by Satan on me.

I prayed using Philippians 4:8 (NIV) 8 “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” I gave thanks to the Lord for being a protector, a shield and a rock to stand upon.

Afterward the anxiety that I was feeling was gone. I felt a calmness come both over and around me. I was at peace. God did this for me. However this incident was also a reminder of why we must “..guard our hearts because everything you do flows from it.” (Proverbs 4:23). This is significant for me because I started watching too much television again and the barrage of bad news, people arguing and scary shows negatively influenced my mood which led to a weakness which led to Satan being able to launch a sneak attack.  I know that I have to be more diligent about this because we reap what we sow.

Spending your time focusing on what is pure and good and true and Godly will result in pure and good and true and Godly outflow in our lives.