RACE TO EMBRACE

These days we all seem to be racing somewhere. 

Racing to and fro and getting nowhere.........Too often describes my race (unless exhaustion is a place).

Obviously my goal/destination needs to change. Does yours? 

We all need to race to Him. 

• Early in the morning as we first open our eyes. 
• In the middle of the day as we face struggles and disappointments. 
• As we close our eyes to sleep. 
• Even as we take our last breath.

He's waiting there , wherever we are----ready to embrace us. 

Race to the "new" realities he has for believers. A better reality.

"Withness." With Him. Regardless----as we run the race set before us by Him! 

A race marked out uniquely for each of us by the One who is always there to embrace us. (Hebrews 12:1)

PONDERING PERTINENT PREPOSITIONS

Two days, ago as I awaited my hubby's outpatient cataract surgery, I opened the DTS Advent story sent by Allen Bible Church. 

It was just what I needed. Of course it was!

Dr. Charles W. Dickens, DTS Professor had me at the timely title.

"IT MIGHT BE THE BEST OF TIMES OR THE WORST OF TIMES BUT GOD IS WITH US."

Doesn't that sound like 2020!

After the title, prepositions along the line of "with-ness" theology started jumping out at me.

• WITH is more than near or close. God's people understand this "with-ness. 
• A "with-us" quality of God that is a believer's indicator OF hope FOR the future. 
• Think, "VICTORY IN JESUS" and FOR hope of survival during these difficult times.

Emmanuel, God with us is the One who gives us a future and a hope! (Colossians 1:27)

CHOOSE: NEARNESS

Growing up in the Methodist church in Hoptown, one tid-bit I recall is analogous with sitting near a roaring fireplace. If one doesn't feel the warmth, guess who moved away from the fire. Similarly if one doesn't feel the warmth of God's presence, guess who moved? Not God. He is Emmanuel, "God with us!"

Psalm 73:28 reminds us "it is good to be near God."

The verse continues, "I have made the Lord God my Refuge." Psalm 46:10 expands the thought giving understanding of the resulting strength that comes to one who chooses the nearness of God as a refuge. When I "move away" from that nearness, I suffer, as do others around me.

I know because I have chosen my own strength these past weeks and thus failed miserably! 

Control. Dread. Fear. Insensitivity. Ire. Irritability.  By-products of my own life when I move away from the warmth of His love,  

As a new year approaches, I hope to change my direction moving closer to Him.  May I allow that nearness of Him, to not only give me refuge but His strength as well. 

Nearness to Him is the essential for Christ-like living. 

CHOOSE: RELATIONSHIP

It might be February but I'm still mulling truths from Tim Keller's Hidden Christmas---in particular the name Immanuel. Immanuel is the person of the incarnation.

He is God. He is human. He is with us. He is God with us! (p.53)

Christ chose twelve that they might be "with Him." (Mark 3:14)

What does "with Him" mean contextually as Matthew and the other gospels describe this relationship as well? Being in their Rabbi's presence. Sitting at His feet. Close enough to Him to be "sitting in His dust." (John Ortberg)

Being with Him is all about relationship. 

Being in Jesus' presence, for us, is also about that intimate relationship with Him---conversing with Him, (prayerful conversation is two-way and involves both listening and speaking) learning from Him and having His comfort moment by moment.

The purpose of the Incarnation was to have that relationsship with Him.

To be able to choose relationship, one must know a relational God and desire to be with Him!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

"The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" (which means "God with us") 

(Matthew 1:23, NIV)

All of our grandkids will have Santa this morning....but my continual prayer is that eventually they will all come to know Emmanuel/Immanuel---who is "God with us." A cuppa eventual-TEA which will bring them to accepting Christ as Savior.

"God with us" is the cuppa life and He is enough!

Safe-TEA, Securi-TEA, Sereni-TEA : a peaceful blend

May those who love you be secure. May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels. For the sake of my family and friends, I will say, “Peace be within you. For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your prosperity. (Psalm 122: 6-9, NIV)

When Seth Stevens taught in August on this "song of assent," he emphasized the Jews were walking up to Jerusalem to the house of the Lord. Each year when they made their trek together the goal was the same---to draw closer to the Lord.

Four months later, I'm reminded, especially through church services and Christmas carols, to be grateful for that gift which I have received. Immanuel. God with us. God with me. It's a spiritually internal (now) / eternal (one day in the future) experience. Peace.

"I don't have to let pain and hurt form my theology." (B. Liles, 12/7/14)

He is my peace. 

It's the gift I want to give to everyone this Christmas. Everyone needs it and His "God size" fits all---His peace forever! 

The Lord be with you. Peace be with you. And also with you. (Episcopal liturgy/Book of Common Prayer)

He is with me. His peace is available for me. His peace is available for all.

He provided the perfect gift----His Son.

Cuppa peace all wrapped up for the season---just serve yourself

For those who receive Him, we are served a deep abiding peace .......a cuppa PEACE blended with safe-TEA,  securit-TEA and sereni-TEA that warms us within our hearts!

E is for Emmanuel

12/7/09 As we approach the Christmas season that “E” word probably seems like a given---but I didn’t think of it. But God…I sat down to write this blog not having a clue of an “E” word---one that rang clear. I had some alpha bits floating in my head---eternal came to mind but not much else.

Then, I remembered a book that had the names of Jesus in it and I even remembered where it was. GLORY! At the Name of Jesus was on the bottom shelf of the lawyers’ chest in the living room. On the flyleaf I had written: From Allan and Carolyn Bowden on my 40th birthday. This “little” book has ministered to me over the years but especially that year, 1986-87. The underlines and the marginalia are reminders of His very real Presence in my life as I was struggling with two very necessary losses in my life. Naïveté and unreal expectations----those things one often has to give up in order to grow up. Also in the book was a cross-stitched “Dotsy” bookmark given to me by my former Longreen neighbor, Cheryl Mc.--it was stitched by her mother, Nancy G. It too was a reminder of God’s Presence in both our lives during another difficult season.

He was and is my Emmanuel---God with me in all my seasons.

“Behold a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Em-manu-el, which being interpreted is God with us." (Matthew 1:23, KJV)

Ponder that.