It’s Easter morning, before dawn. Everyone is still sleeping, and with the chirps of birds outside providing me with background music, I just finished reading the account of the first Easter morning. Before my thoughts shift gears to the ham I am going to prepare and my house that needs cleaned for our celebration (which, by the way looks like a tornado went through it at this moment) I just want to jump on here and share with you a verse that my thoughts and reflections centered on much of this lent season.

Just to give you a little context, after Jesus was declared dead on the cross, a disciple that followed Him in secret, Joseph from Arimathea, requested that His body be entrusted to him. Pilate gave the order, and Joseph took His battered body, wrapped it in a clean cloth, and then laid Him in his own tomb and then rolled a stone at the entrance. I’d imagine that Joseph walked away from the tomb with a saddened sense of closure. The chief priests and Pharisees, on the other hand, experienced the opposite, as unrest and a sense of unfinished business plagued them as they approached Pilate with a concern. After referring to Jesus as a deceiver, they quoted something Jesus said that no doubt haunted them, “After three days, I will rise again” (Mt. 27:63). They asked Pilate to make the tomb secure for the next three days to prevent the disciples from coming and stealing His body – telling others that He had risen. (v. 64)

Here is Pilate’s response: “Take a guard’, Pilate answered. Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.’ So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard” (Mt. 27:65).

The guards took every measure they could think of to prevent Jesus’ prophesy from being fulfilled. Every resource available to them they utilized – the most sophisticated of measures at their disposal, they made the tomb as secure as they knew how.

Death could not keep Him. The human mind could not outwit Him. His plan untouchable; His will unalterable. FOREVERMORE. Our God made the heavens and the Earth – all that is seen and unseen. He rules over what He creates – forevermore. He will one day return for His own, and He is preparing a place for His people. He is the one who was, who is, and is to come, and He reigns victorious on His throne. Sovereign, and holy… Full of grace and truth, our God reigns in all the Earth – forevermore. He is coming again, and no one or no thing can thwart His plan to consummate His kingdom. Thank God His plan will always and forever trump our attempts to control things! That His lavish, unrelenting love has been extended to us – unworthy as we are. That He has saved us from the death we all deserve… That He is not only mighty to save – but that He is willing to save! Oh praise the name of Jesus!

“There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it… The angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here, He is risen, just as He said” (Mt. 28:2,5).

Have you ever been promised something wonderful – only to receive the exact opposite? Maybe the salesperson promised your new car to be a carefree beauty, but what you drove off the lot turned out to be a lemon. Perhaps a vacation offer to blissful luxury turned out to be a trip of blatant misery! Maybe a job offer loaded with pluses and perks only placed you in a position that made you want to go berserk! I think all of us, at one time or another, have experienced disappointment in this way. I’d venture to guess, however, that few – if any – of our examples could even scratch the surface of the simulation I had the opportunity to experience this weekend.

Two months ago Sarah Brown from Cornerstone EPC in Michigan called me and said that after she and a few other women in their church completed Embracing an Aching Heart, they felt compelled to do something as a church to raise awareness and engage in the injustice of trafficking. Their annual Mystery Missions Bus Trip was soon approaching, and they thought this would be a perfect opportunity to host an event on this topic. Her description of what they intended to do left me more excited than I can describe! I want to share with you what the women that day experienced… (I am once again lamenting that I forgot to bring my camera! I thought about you at least 100 times this weekend, as I wished I could have had posted pics to go along with this blog.)

Saturday morning the women arrived at Cornerstone EPC to find two large buses in the parking lot that would soon whisk them away to an unidentified location. As the women checked in they were each given their ticket – a “passport” issued in their name, and they were instructed to hold onto it at all times. The excitement was palpable as the women boarded the buses, wondering about their destination. The only thing they were promised was a luscious breakfast – sure to dazzle them. Passports in hand and hunger pangs in tow, the buses were quickly loaded.

Forty-five minutes later, we stopped near Detroit in front of an old church building that has been turned into a night club. (Literally, it is now a night club.) The leaders instructed the women to enter the nightclub two at a time, and present their passport upon entrance. The leaders then left the buses and the women were left without their leadership and instruction beyond this point.

The first thing the women encountered as they entered was a large, strange man who confiscated and ripped up their passport, and then stamped the inside of their arm, “For Sale.” Lighting was dim, and blaring nightclub music played as they were escorted to the main seating area. Another unrecognizable man wearing sunglasses and a leather jacket welcomed them to the world of slavery in a harsh tone, and then instructed them to take their breakfast of water and cold toast to their seat in the dark room scattered with red couches and bar stools. In the center was something that made every one of us uncomfortable – a young girl on a mattress chained to a bed. Understandably, the women were uncertain of how to respond. Some shifted their eyes in a constant attempt to avoid looking at her. Others had their gaze fixed on her. A few others walked up to her and covered her with their coat. You could have heard a pin drop as the music faded, and a woman’s recorded voice greeted us. She explained that she understands the confusion and disorientation we must have felt, for she also experienced the same bait and switch experience; only hers was to a degree we cannot even begin to imagine, with implications reaching far beyond hunger pangs and momentary confusion. This woman’s betrayal rocked the entire course of her life as she was a victim of human trafficking. Then Pam Harvey from the Not for Sale Campaign (www.notforsalecampaign.org) took the stage and so eloquently introduced herself and our subject matter. She did a fabulous job as she shared the details of trafficking, and also played three videos I could scarcely see due to the tears that welled in my eyes. The intensity of the subject matter, coupled by the simulation we experienced, brought this world of slavery to life in a dramatic way. The heavy-heartedness we felt was obvious in our demeanor and conversations. During the afternoon, opportunities to become engaged in the fight to end this injustice were offered, and hope began to fill our hearts as the we intentionally switched our focus to implementation and action.

When it was my turn to share a little about myself and the Bible study I wrote to educate and empower the Church regarding this issue, I felt the unmistakable prompting of the Holy Spirit to share the following truth: God does not open our eyes and allow us to see horrific injustice or oppression with the intention of leaving us in a state of despair and hopelessness. What a tragedy if we would have left that place with our heads bowed low and a feeling of defeat. I encouraged us all to leave with our head held high – eyes on our God. With a heart not filled with despair – but hope. Hope not rooted in our own merit and effort to take a stand and march forward with our own agenda and plan to combat slavery, but hope in knowing that we serve a God who promises to guide our path as we seek Him and empower us with His Spirit. The underground world of slavery is cloaked in darkness and drenched in despair – only The Light of the World can pierce it, and we have got to proceed in this fight with that truth at the forefront of our mind and heart. Satan has his filthy grip on this tragic injustice that is now ranked the second largest and fastest growing criminal injustice in our world today. SECOND LARGEST IN OUR WORLD TODAY… Millions are suffering unimaginable brutality, and we cannot remain silent. We must give them a voice. We must fight for their freedom.

The leadership team at Cornerstone is a group of the most wonderful women! They are all so friendly, warm – and their love for Jesus is evident. I truly was honored to be a part of this day and serve these women. How I wish I could have taken some pics to show you the wonderful group we had the pleasure to meet and hang out with Friday night! Suzi, Sally, Sarah, Donna, Kim, Ashley, and Angela – they were terrific. Oh and speaking of Friday night, traveling just wouldn’t be complete without an incident involving me and some crazy thing. This particular trip happened to involve me and a support beam… In addition to the great group of gals at Cornerstone, I had three of my BFF’s come along with me. Debbie (AIH secretary), Angela, and Debbie (DF, as she is now fondly referred to). Our table at dinner happened to be located near a rounded arch support beam in the room. As I walked back to my table I accidentally hit my head on it. Pretty good whack, I may add. No big deal, just be careful, Jennifer. Well, about an hour later I was walking full speed ahead back to my table (you know where this is headed, don’t you…) yep, you guessed it. I hit my head so hard I literally fell to the ground!! A huge egg erupted on my forehead. Can anyone spell E-M-B-A-R-R-A-S-S-E-D??? Yep, that was definitely my highlight episode from this particular trip. (Notice I said highlight… I could go on, but I’ll spare you the details. There was also our emergency detour through a very interesting part of Cleveland that was no fault of our awesome pilot, DF! I’ll save that story for another time…)

UPDATE – Thanks to Suzi and Kim, I have a couple pics to share with you! Thanks, ladies!

This is the whole group of us gathered on the front steps of Clutch Cargo right before we boarded the buses to return to the church. The ladies proudly held up the signs they made that declared the truth that slavery still exists”.

Here are my buddies! Debbie (aka DF), myself, Angela, and Debbie – AIH secretary. I am so appreciative of each one of these women in so many ways, and I love them so much.

“And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8).

It has been waaay too long since I’ve posted on this blog!! We have had some issues with not being able to publish blogs in the past couple weeks – hopefully those have been resolved and now we can catch up! There have been a couple posts I’ve been excited to write; today I’ll begin with the first one that I’ve been so anxious to tell you about!

January 11th was National Human Trafficking Awareness Day. I cannot tell you the joy it brings my heart that there is a nationally declared day to bring awareness to this horrific injustice! Senator Teresa Fedor (State Senator, 11th district) invited me to attend the event at the Ohio Statehouse to raise awareness in my home state. Tears filled my eyes as a trafficking survivor lit two candles to begin the day – one to symbolize former slaves who have been set free, the other representing those still in captivity. I imagined that if one candle was lit for every life touched by this heinous crime that not even the whole Statehouse could contain them. It was encouraging to see senators, state representatives, ambassadors, FBI agents, and other leaders from various groups gather to discuss ways to combat this global epidemic that is not just occurring in remote places of our world, but in our backyards. I was surprised to learn that Ohio is now recognized as the state having the forth most frequent calls reporting human trafficking activity in the country.

I was both humbled and honored to walk into this wonderful event with God’s Word in the form of a Bible study, offering everlasting hope amidst the darkness. I set up a table with copies of Embracing an Aching Heart: Addressing the Horrors of Human Trafficking and was able to boldly declare that God does care about these oppressed individuals, and that His Word is not silent on this issue! It seemed many people were both interested and surprised to hear these truths.

It took very little time for me to write the dedication of this book. It reads, “This book is dedicated to every man, woman, and child who has been a victim of human trafficking. My heart aches for you, and it is my privilege to write this Bible study in honor of you.” This statement accurately reflects the posture of my heart towards this book. The more I learn about slavery, the more compelled I am to make a difference. The more faces I look into that have been effected by trafficking, the more my heart is filled with compassion for them.

I encourage you to become educated on the injustice of human trafficking. You do not have to look long or hard to be informed, as human trafficking is now the second largest and fasting growing criminal industry in the world! Let me warn you, however, that this is not an easy arena to look into. The facts are overwhelming and the stories of those who endure unimaginable brutality are heart wrenching.

Millions are suffering… the Body of Christ must not remain silent.

I have to tell you about the group of women I had the honor to serve at the MOPS group that meets at Tabernacle Church. As I’ve mentioned before on this blog, I have made it my practice to pray and ask God to give me a love for those that He allows me the honor to serve through teaching – whether that is through writing or speaking. I cannot even begin to tell you how much He takes me off guard in the way He answers this prayer! My Sunday school class is comprised of a group that I love like crazy, but I see them every week, so that is more understandable as a relationship is cultivated over time. But a sincere love for people I have never met before? That is an obvious answer to prayer and it overwhelms me every time I experience it. I loved this group of moms the moment I set eyes on them. In my conversations with them it was obvious that they have an earnest desire to be the best mom they can possibly be. They take their role seriously and are striving to lead their little ones in the way they should go. They were such a welcoming and gracious group, and I loved every moment I was able to spend with them.

I was asked to speak on how we (women) see ourselves… and how God see us. Within those two perspectives a gigantic chasm often exists! Who better to testify to that truth than one who spent much of her life in a pit of a poor self-worth? I think that was my number one credential for this particular speaking engagement. Not the ability to convey accurate Biblical truths on the matter, and not mere intellectual knowledge on this topic, but first hand experience. There is nothing like a testimony from the lips of one who experienced Christ’s transforming power. I know for myself, speakers have a ton more credibility in my eyes when they’ve lived their message. This is one I have lived, and lived to tell about. Not that I don’t still struggle with this, but I am no longer paralyzed by it.

We began our time together with an interesting statistic that states on average, women look into a mirror 34 times a day! Many reasons exist as to why a person may look into a mirror, but for our purposes we settled on one common reason – to see if we look acceptable. We trust the accuracy of our mirrors (I have yet to see a crazy mirror – you know the kind in a funhouse that make you look wobbly – hanging in a person’s bathroom), and we make adjustments based on our reflection to make ourselves look acceptable before leaving our homes. Whether or not we realize it, you and I look into mirrors to validate our worth. The trouble is, the mirrors we are tempted to peer into for this purpose are not accurate – even though we make adjustments in accordance to the image that is reflected back to us. Our goal for our time together at MOPS was to look collectively into the mirror of Scripture to see what God says regarding our worth. Not surprisingly, His perspective looked much different from the mirrors we often use for affirmation. We covered so much ground together, and I loved every minute I had to spend with them. There is no way I could effectively relay all the information to you in this format, but I’d like to share with you the three major points of our time together.

1. Our worth is not something we establish for ourselves – it is something God has declared over us.

2. Rather than pursuing our worth we must rest in it.

3. After we look into the mirror of truth (Scripture), we may need to make adjustments in our thinking. (Our actions will follow.)

As we unpacked each one of those statements in detail, every one of us related to this struggle in one way or another. After all, the culture we live in embraces an exact opposite value system than what Scripture teaches regarding this matter. Reread the first two statements above. Our culture tells us to establish our own worth which leads to a myriad of pursuits in order to gain acceptance, approval, and advantages. We identified these various pursuits in five categories with an understanding that there is nothing at all wrong with any of the categories in and of themselves… It is when we attempt to anchor our worth into them – then we have a problem. We named these five categories counterfeit value definers. The first category was physical appearance. Now there is nothing wrong with being beautiful, having nice clothes, and wearing pretty jewelry; however, if we anchor our worth into our physical appearance then what happens when our eyes droop, our skin wrinkles, and our chin begins to sag? (Not to mention other places that begin to sag!) For some of us, we may put layers of “things” on our person in an attempt to hide behind them so the eyes of others divert away from us to things that we think may improve our worth in our estimation. And don’t even get me started on the number that is reflected when we step on a scale! For far too many women, their worth is tied tightly to their waistline. Again, there is nothing at all wrong with beauty! And there is nothing wrong with being physically fit, having nice clothes, wearing make-up, accessories, etc… The things we adorn ourselves with is not the problem. A wounded heart is, and our motives regarding these things is the determining factor. Physical beauty is just one of the five categories we discussed that can be a counterfeit value definers for us.

The moms that filled the gymnasium that day were a diverse group. Working moms, stay at home moms. Mothers of multiple children, mothers of one child. Younger moms, older moms. Different and unique but we all shared two things in common. First, we all experienced the elation and exhaustion… the privilege and the pressure… the delight and demands of being called mommy. Being a mom is not a difficult fete to accomplish, but embracing the role of mom – that is very different. The second thing we all had in common is that we have a deep, abiding need to know that our life has meaning and worth. And that is not a need common to only women or moms, but every person walking on planet earth has this soul craving – that is how God created us. His intention is having our need for significance met in Him. Some of us have believed lies about our value (or lack of our value) for a very long time. It is not our responsibility to build a reputation, a bank account, a wardrobe, or even a fan club in order for us to obtain an acceptable status of worth before our God. This mentality goes against the grain of our culture who tells us otherwise – that we must climb the ladder, break the bank, and win popularity contests! We do not have to pursue our worth… BUT we do play a role, and that is where point number three from above comes into play: After we look into the mirror of truth (Scripture), we may need to make adjustments in our thinking. (Our actions will follow.)

We ended our time at MOPS with the truth that are children are watching us. They are taking a cue from us to see what mirrors we are looking into to derive and validate our worth, and we are sending them messages on where to look for this need to be met for themselves. How true it is that much of what our children learn from us is caught and not taught… Something for us to consider as we instill value, worth, and significance into the lives of our children.

Waiting. Not a favorable concept in our modern day culture of instant. We want what we want, when we want it, and we don’t like to have our paces slowed. In our world of microwave ovens, fast food, atm machines, instant messaging, and air travel, we are encouraged to be on the move! Life in the fast lane… no time to wait, and why should we have to? Just watch the countenance of the people waiting in life at the store when the cashier lights up her number to flash, indicating a problem has occurred and she is flagging the attention of her boss. Or the expressions of drivers when traffic is slow – or a standstill. (God help those in front of one who suffers from road rage in a stand still!) Imagine the pace of life before cars, plains, and modern technology came on the scene. Ever watch Little House on the Prairie? Used to be my favorite. Imagine if we could go back in time and tell someone from that era about the modern day conveniences that would be enjoyed a century or so later… A machine to make bread. A little switch to turn lights on that hung from the 12 foot ceiling in your home – a home that you did not have to build with your own two hands. A car you could drive into town. A dial to turn for an instant fire rather than building one with the wood you chopped. A machine to wash and dry your clothes. Running water. The description of a bathroom! People from this time were accustomed to waiting, as they had no choice. If they wanted to eat, they had to wait for the yeast to rise. Clean clothes meant a trip to a river, then waiting for them to dry on a clothesline. Farmers were at the mercy of weather conditions to determine whether or not there would be a decent harvest to support their family. Times have certainly changed, and so have our mindsets.

Despite all the changes effecting our pace of life, God remains the same. Doesn’t matter how our advancements have evolved and improved, His hasn’t. Doesn’t matter how our mindset has changed, His hasn’t wavered. The fact that we do not like to wait plays no role in God’s timing. Our approach before Him cannot be contaminated by the attitude of instant that saturates our society – and at times maybe even our own mind and heart.

Reality is, every single one of us is waiting for something that is completely beyond our control, but is under the sovereign rule of our God. The things we wait upon are different, and we could not possibly list them all… A spouse to share life with. A baby to fill the yearning desire of barrenness. A diagnosis. A healing. A breakthrough in a strained relationship. Deliverance. A job. Friendship. Clear direction in a major decision. Salvation for a family member. Justice to prevail. Jesus to take us home. Everybody is waiting for something, and God does not offer drive through service for a faster lane of service, nor is He our heavenly bellhop ready and waiting to serve us when we snap our fingers with our request. I confess that in my early years as a Christian that was exactly how I approached Him. They only time I prayed was when I wanted something from Him, and I expected Him to answer quickly. How pompous and irreverent of me.

And so we wait. How many times have you heard the phrase, “God’s timing is always perfect!”? If you’re like me, more times than you can count. While it is true, there is a part of us that may not like to hear that, isn’t there? Probably because we are told this when we are waiting for something we want so desperately to come to fruition, and we don’t know when or how it will come to pass, and there is nothing we can do to alter or expedite God’s timing. Doesn’t matter if we throw a fit like a three year old, give Him a cold shoulder, or even try to win His favor in an attempt for Him to answer our plea now. (You know, the ol’ bargaining approach…”Do this for me God and I promise to help old ladies across the street and give money to the poor for the next three years.”)

There are many factors that we have no control over while we wait, such as the duration of time, and often the outcome. But there are things we get to choose while we wait. John Waller tells us so well in his song, I Am Waiting, the things we get to choose:

I’m waiting
I’m waiting on You, Lord
And I am hopeful
I’m waiting on You, Lord
Though it is painful
But patiently, I will wait

I will move ahead, bold and confident
Taking every step in obedience
While I’m waiting
I will serve You
While I’m waiting
I will worship
While I’m waiting
I will not faint
I’ll be running the race
Even while I wait

I’m waiting
I’m waiting on You, Lord
And I am peaceful
I’m waiting on You, Lord
Though it’s not easy
But faithfully, I will wait
Yes, I will wait
I will serve You while I’m waiting
I will worship while I’m waiting
I will serve You while I’m waiting
I will worship while I’m waiting
I will serve you while I’m waiting
I will worship while I’m waiting on You, Lord

Yesterday I was reading in Acts before Jesus ascended into heaven he told His disciples, “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about” (Jn. 1:4). They had to wait. They did not know how long, and they didn’t know why, but they knew they had to wait. Their response is recorded in Acts 1:12-14, “Then they returned to Jerusalem… when they arrived, they went upstairs to a room they were staying… They all joined together constantly in prayer.” They did not know when or how, but in their response they were obedient, they served Christ, and they worshiped Him. 10 days later, their waiting came to an end on the day of Pentecost.

Waiting on God is not meant to be a passive thing. While we wait we learn, grow, and drawn closer to Jesus – if we cooperate and let the Holy Spirit have His way with us. Submitting to Him and yielding our desires – and asking Him to fill us with His own. NOT always an easy process… in fact it can be downright hard. But then we must choose to gaze upon Christ. Choose to serve Him. Choose to worship Him. And as we wait, we continue to run the race He has marked out for us. Fueled not by selfish wish lists, but by the wind of the Spirit with our faces set on Him. And with each step, He’s promised that His grace will be sufficient. That His mercies will be new every morning. That He will never leave or forsake you. That nothing, NOTHING can separate you from His love. You see, there are blessings that come during the wait. Press on, dear friend. We may not know every detail of the road God has marked out for us – after all He’s equipped us with a lamp for our feet to guide our path, not streetlights to illuminate the steps of the hours or days ahead (See Ps. 119:105).

I don’t know what you’re waiting on God for right now. Maybe joy is filling your heart and you are waiting with great anticipation and excitement – I say to you march on with your lamp at your feet and your gaze on Christ! Maybe you are waiting and your stomach is in knots, tears fill your eyes, and the uncertainly of the steps ahead are overwhelming. I say to you march on with your lamp at your feet and your gaze on Jesus! Your Savior who loves you with an everlasting love… who died that you may know, love, and experience Him now and forever. Our waiting on Christ is never in vain. John Waller is right, waiting can be so darn painful… but it is never wasted – not one second of it. God is working in and around you while you wait. May you and I find courage and comfort in this truth today, as we wait.

Here’s the link to listen to this song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWI-iZsIKIk

I hope your celebrations of our Savior’s birth were filled with hope, peace, and great joy this year! Our Christmas decorations are down, and 2010 was welcomed warmly in our home yesterday as the Ohio State Buckeyes won the Rose Bowl! Now if my husband was authoring this post the remainder of it would consist of statistics, plays, and maybe even a few x’s and o’s figures! The man is, as they say, happy as a pig in mud with his team’s victory!

But he’s not the author today, so let’s return to the brief statement I made regarding our Christmas decorations being down. What a bittersweet activity. Bitter because the decorations are so pretty and festive, and sweet because after several weeks it all starts to look like clutter to me and I cannot wait to take them down and clean my house! Funny how beautiful things can start to look like clutter! I was listening to my ipod play list while sweeping our dining room floor, and the Holy Spirit began to minister to me as the song You Are by Mark Roach was playing. I just love how God often intercepts the ordinary and mundane to minister to His people… meets us right where we are – physically, mentally, and spiritually. Our Good Shepherd knows His sheep, and He tends to us. One of the many things I love about our God is that we do not have to get our act together in order for Him to tend to us! We don’t have to try harder, be better, or know more – He sees us and knows our hearts and He meets us right where we are – regardless of how messy our stuff is. What He impressed upon me a couple days ago was so precious to me that I stopped to share it with my husband in that moment, and now I feel compelled to share it with you.

As this song resonated in my mind and heart, I reflected on who God is and what He has done for me, and I was struck anew that it is God who pursues me. I cannot imagine or comprehend the depth of His love, nor can I understand why He loves me – unworthy as I am. His love for me is beyond my wildest imagination and the explanation of His passion eludes me. The Holy Spirit showed me that at times my focus has been too much on my love for Him… God has, by His grace, given me a desire to love Him with my whole heart – though I fall so short of this desire every day. What the Holy Spirit revealed to me was that in my zeal to love Him, my focus is at times too much on my love for Him… how well I am loving Him, or what I could be doing better to demonstrate my love for Him. While these are good desires, at times I have focused on them more than resting in His love for me. This can result in my pursuit of Him to occupy center stage rather than resting in His pursuit of me! If my focus is too concentrated on my love for Him, then really my focus is on me – not Him! And I have learned many times and in many ways that whenever my focus is on myself, that is never, ever good! This is certainly not to mean that I should not continue to strive to love God with all my heart, but a change in perspective on my part was needed on that particular day. This was not a new revolutionary truth for me, but sometimes God takes something we know that is stored somewhere in the back of our brains and with a wind of His Spirit He blows the dust off and allows us to receive a fresh revelation that is perfect for our circumstances – perfect for the moment He reveals it. An Aha! moment. Boy am I glad God provides Aha! moments.

I don’t know if this makes one bit of sense to you today. Sometimes an Aha! moment is so personal that it really only makes perfect sense to the one who God provided it for. I’m just following through on what I believe God is calling me to share tonight. Perhaps you’ve had a recent Aha! moment you’d like to share? I’d love to rejoice with you over what God has revealed to you!

I love watching Christmas movies. Amazing how I can laugh until my stomach hurts as I watch the same movie every year while anticipating the next line or scene. One of my favorites is A Charlie Brown Christmas. Today I heard a line from that program that I do not remember hearing before, and I have not been able to get it out of my mind. Charlie Brown said, “I think there must be something wrong with me, Linus. Christmas is coming, but I’m not happy. I don’t feel the way I’m supposed to feel.” How he’s supposed to feel…

Perhaps this line struck a chord with me because of the countless times I’ve heard the song, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year” this past month in the car, stores, and even on television. It’s like my eardrums have become a magnetic force to this tune! Every time I hear it I think of those who may be listening that may want to declare something similar to Charlie Brown’s sentiment with the realization that while Christmas is coming, he or she doesn’t feel the way they are supposed to feel. Health issues, finantial crisis, relational strains, exhaustion, and even death do not take a Christmas vacation. Situations exist that are difficult and painful while the familiar chorus tell us to “be of good cheer” in the midst of “parties for hosting, marshmellows for toasting, and caroling out in the snow.” The message that is often conveyed this time of year is that happiness and the “right feeling” will result as we engage in Christmasy things such as decorating our home, baking goodies, buying presents, attending social gatherings, and receiving gifts. Please don’t misunderstand – I will be the first one to say that these activites can and should be wonderful times of fellowship with those we love and are a ton of fun! However, merely partaking in these activites will not satisfy the cravings of our soul, and if our intention is to have our deepest longings satisfied in those things then what happens when the decorations come down, the last cookie is eaten, (and let’s not even mention getting on the scale!) there are no more presents to distribute, and the parties cease? How then are we supposed to feel?

Fact is we’re addressing the wrong issue. Our feelings do not accurately reflect an appropriate sentiment – we need to address joy, peace, and hope grounded in the knowledge and belief in truth. Not rooted in the things that are here today and are gone tomorrow, but rooted in the One who was, is, and is to come. It is possible for joy to coexist with trials. Peace to reside despite conflict. And hope to dissipate despair. It is possible – but only through Christ. “For to us a child is born, to us a Son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Is. 9:6).

I don’t know what struggle or trial exists in your life as Christmas comes this year, but it is my prayer that your heart will stir with wonder and bow in worship as you reflect on the birth of Christ. That His joy will saturate your thoughts and attitudes, that His peace will calm the storm in your mind and heart, and that His hope will spur you on to love Him more. Born in a manger – destined for the cross; the truth of what our Savior has done makes the message of this season the most wonderful time of the year. Not because of what we do, but because of what He’s done.

O come let us adore Him, Christ, the Lord! May the joy, peace, and hope of our Savior Jesus Christ reign in your heart as we celebrate His birth. Merry Christmas!

Until yesterday I have never heard of The Village Church or its senior pastor, Matt Chandler. Sine I’ve been introduced to him and his family I have not been able to get them out of my mind. I urge you to take 4 minutes out of your day to watch a video of him recorded on December 6th on the blog at this link: http://fm.thevillagechurch.net/blog/pastors/?paged=2

Left me speechless.

Will you join me in praying for Matt, Lauren and their three children as they process through all of this and walk this tremendously difficult road.

Over the past several weeks I have been going through the book of John during my devotional times in the mornings. When Advent started I thought about stopping and going backwards to read the story of Christ’s birth, maybe in the book of Luke… I felt compelled to continue going forward in the book of John, so that is exactly what I have done. As God would have it, as Christmas neared so did the portions of Jesus’ crucifixion. For a split second I thought to myself that I should be reading this in preparation for Easter during lent – not advent! But as quickly as I could formulate those words in my mind the little synapses in my brain told me that this could not be more appropriate. I came across a verse a few days ago that I feel led to share with you. Just to give you a little context, Jesus was brought before Pilate who was trying to determine why the Jewish people wanted to bring charges against Jesus. Inside the palace, Pilate summoned Jesus. Here is a portion of their conversation:

From morning to evening, yesterday was an incredibly unusual day.

It was the final moments before the younger two kids ventured out into the crisp morning air while they were putting on their hats and gloves when Chris let out the most blood curdling scream and began running around hysterically. Now, as a mom you know your kids have different cries. There’s the whining nothing-is-really-wrong-I-just-want-your-attention cry. There’s the cry with actual tears to display sincere, yet manageable pain. Then there is the unmistakable, your stomach drops the moment you hear it cry, and you know something is really wrong demanding immediate intervention cry. The latter describes Chris’s cry yesterday. When I found him curled in a fetal position on the couch he managed to scream, “A mouse! There is a mouse in our house! It crawled out of my hat when I went to put it on!” Evidently he brought in his hat from the garage, also a rodent’s home for the night… By this time his younger brother got wind of what was going on, and he too was hysterical, on top of the couch. “Are you sure, Chris?” I asked. The boy looked sure. Wishful thinking on my part, I guess… The two kids bolted out the door for the bus fastest I’d ever seen, and for the first time I wished I could get on the bus with them! Instead, I returned with great fear and trembling to my house… Taking careful steps with eyes wide open. Nothing. Silence. “Maybe he was just seeing things,” I reassured myself. (Guess this would be an appropriate time to mention my phobia of bugs, reptiles, and rodents? And I do use phobia in the truest context of the word!)

Then I saw it. A small, thin, black, mouse and I screamed the loudest blood curdling scream you’ve ever heard. Much like Chris’s come to think of it, only a few pitches off. I was shocked that the rodent didn’t so much as flinch in response to my ear piercing wail! What on Earth could I do? I grabbed my broom and chased it around, wailing the entire time. I was armed, but not real dangerous, as I was so paralyzed with fear, and did not what to hit the thing! Then I realized I had to make a move or else have an uninvited house guest for an untold number of days! So I tried to hit it with my broom – no luck. So I stood hovering over it, just staring at it. I called my father and mother-in-law who, bless their hearts, came over with mouse traps. When they came I was still staring at it, scared half to death with the back door open wide in the hopes that the thing would run out unharmed. Well, they came in and we fell into position. First in line was my fearless mother-in-law, with a spray bottle of Clorox in hand in the hopes we could stun it and then carry it out of the house. (With the added bonus of disinfecting it at the same time!) Next my father-in-law with broom in hand. I was in the rear. No productive job for me, now that I think of it. We chased the mole (as I learned it was) for a couple hours until we finally lost sight of it in my dining room. We could not find it anywhere. We moved all the furniture around, lifted the couch, turned it upside down – no mole.

I left my house to run a couple errands and when I came home checked all the traps we set – Mr. Mole was nowhere to be found. When I walked across the dining room I felt a little bump under my feet… Holding my breath (and broom again) I lifted it up to find the mole flat as a pancake between my area rug and rug pad underneath! We must have turned the couch upside down on it! Though I am sorry it died, I have to tell you RELIEF came over me when I realized operation mole had come to an end!

When I picked up the kids from school I learned everyone from the principle to the janitor heard the news of the mouse in our house. Evidently Chris and Jacob asked all their friends to please call them and ask them to come over their house because they were afraid to come home. They were also happy to hear it was dead. Not so happy to hear its remains were where I found it, waiting for Daddy to get home!

The evening was unusual, but it such a better way! I think I may have mentioned before, I am not gifted in the craft department. Crafts are not something I do often, nor is it relaxing for me as I tend to hyperventilate and perspire when engaging in such activities. (And I am not a sweater, btw!) But every so often the two craft brain cells I do have connect, spark, and I get a great idea! This week that very thing happened, and the kids and I made non-edible ornaments and painted them. We had such fun making them! Here they are: