Vacation...Friday

1/10/14 

I have often felt like I don’t know how to do vacation.  When my boys were young we would go visit my family, which all live in Washington State.  It was always important for me to have them spend time with grandma and grandpa, aunts, uncles and, of course, cousins.  The time was always too short and went by way too quickly We did make some great memories riding dirt bikes and living the country life, as their mom had growing up.  It was always so traumatic and emotional for me to come back home.  There are various reasons for that….much too many to cover in one session.  There would be quite a few issues in that book, and I am saving them for another day.

Now, at the age of fifty-two, and with my first born son turning twenty-nine, I have just returned from a week of vacation visiting him.  I must say this was one of the best and most loving vacations that I have ever had.  On the first day I told myself that I would relax, to slow down my brain from the constant worry that it does.  I asked God to help me, and guess what….He did.  With His loving help I was allowed to appreciate each moment of each day.  I took the time I needed to read, and have quiet time with God, to ponder, to feel, to observe.

My reason for the visit was to celebrate Michael’s birthday.   And that we did, but today, as I am writing this, I am really celebrating so much more than that.  I see a young man that has a heart of gold.  None of our lives have ever been easy, and Michael felt quite bitter about that for many years.  I now see a young man that loves God and cares so much for his father, his girlfriend, his family and is always so generous to anyone he comes across that is less fortunate than he.

I came away from this vacation with…yes, tears, saying I love you and see you soon, but, more than that, seeing the beautifully awesome healing of our Lord’s work in the heart of my first born son. This was the son who was once so hard that he stated there was no God, because, if there was, all these bad things would not happen to him.  That right there is the best “birthing day” present a mom could ever get. 

The moon will shine like the sun, and the sunlight will be seven times brighter, 

like the light of seven full days, when the Lord binds up the bruises of his people 

and heals the wounds he inflicted.

Isaiah 30:26

New International Version (NIV)

Here is a song sung by Shawn McDonald.

MERCY...Saturday

1/11/13

"For the Lord is good; 

his mercy is everlasting' and his truth endureth to all generations."

~ Psalm 100:5 ~

(KJV)

     The dictionary definition of mercy includes: forbearance, compassion, disposition to be kind and forgiving.

     This is exactly what the Lord has towards all of mankind -- mercy -- undeserved love.

God could just as easily look at what is happening in the world today, throw up His hands in despair and anger and give us what we all deserve.  But He doesn't.

     God sent His Son, Jesus, to be the substitute for all of us who deserved God's wrath for our sins.  He took our place.  So instead of the punishment we deserve, those who believe in Jesus as their Lord and Savior are now clothed in His righteousness and now receive God's mercy -- undeserved love.

     How long does His mercy last to us as believers -- forever, to all generations who will accept Jesus as Savior.

     If you don't know Jesus as your Savior, repent of your sins and accept Him.  If you do know Him as Savior, praise God for His goodness and mercy.

Written by 

Carol Steficek

Here is a song about mercy...

              "In View of God's Mercy"

Being Inspired...Thursday

1/9/13

“Being Inspired”

God’s love for us inspired God our Father to create the cosmos just for us!

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord

Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every 

spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 

4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation 

of the world, that we should be holy and without 

blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined 

us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, 

according to the good pleasure of His will, 

6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, 

by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.

Ephesians 1:3-6 - 

This got me to thinking that if we are created in His image (which we are), then we should also be inspired to do “acts of love”.   We already have the love of God in us and the power of His Holy Spirit abides in us.  Many old testament and new testament believers in God were inspired by the Holy Ghost to write down for us the message of His Gospel which we now have before us – The Bible. (2 Timothy 3:16)

Jesus’ promise of the Holy Spirit is there to give us inspiration whenever we choose to listen to it.  I want to encourage you to be inspired this week.  Allow God’s kind of love move you to act on your faith in such a way to bring love, joy, peace, etc. to those around you as he prompts you.

-- By Karl Hirsch

    Dean of Students 

    CBC San Jose, CA 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Susan Boyle sings "How Great Thou Art"

    

Blessings,

Kathryn Hanson

CO-Director of CBC San Jose, CA

"The Lifter Of My Head"...Wedesday

 1/8/14

I find myself sometimes being a "People Watcher." It can be quite interesting and thought provoking as I have observed in times past. Recently I watched a man walk down a busy street with his head cast down the entire time as he was walking. I watched for quite some time and not once did he raise his head. It made me wonder if he was carrying the world on his shoulders.

That incident brought to mind to me a beautiful message to us in God's Word.             

             

It says in Psalm 3:3 

"But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, 

My glory and the One 

who lifts up my head."

It is the Lord who gives us much security, confidence, assurance and purpose. He is my glory and the One who lifts up my head. In Him I have great Victory, for He defeated my enemies round about me!

Because of Christ's great Love for me I can daily, with rich delight, walk with my head lifted high, gazing into the eyes of Jesus!

Looking Onto Jesus, 

Sandy Billingham

This song is called "The Glory and the Lifter of My Head."

Hold Onto Joy...Tuesday

2013 has come and gone. For some, this past year has flown by like a whisper in the wind. For others, this past year was like a nightmare that didn't want to end. Personally, 2013 was a year I’d rather forget because it was filled with much heartache. 

Now, before us all sits a book full of blank pages. How many pages, only the Creator truly knows.  As I sit at my office window watching the cold, winter rain turn the parking lot into a skating rink, I wonder, what will 2014 look like for me? Will the pages end up being filled with dark and painful days like it was the previous year? Is the rain falling before my eyes a symbol of what is to come? I guess a great deal depends on me and how I perceive whatever circumstance or situation is thrown my way. I may not be able to stop heartache, confusion, or worry from stealing my happiness. However, I can prevent it from taking away my joy. 

True joy comes from the Lord and the Bible tells us that we should... 

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds” 

(James 1:2). 

Our God reminds us that although the path before us may be bumpy at times, He is faithful to walk beside us and help us overcome any obstacles we face. 

James 1:3-4 goes on to say... 

“for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 

And let steadfastness have its full effect, 

that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing”. 

So, as we wake up each morning, let us not be afraid to face the day and fill the blank pages of our book. Although some pages may reveal hard times, we can rest in the knowledge that Our Creator is faithful. He uses our trials and tribulations to shape us into His completeness. Whatever we face in 2014 remember, The Lord is the God of every story, no matter how difficult it may read. He is in control.

Song to reflect on "God of Every Story" sung by Laura Story."

Written by

S.G.H.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here are the lyrics to the song if you would like to read them as you listen to the song.

my she lives down the street
And her husband left her just last week.
She feels like giving up,
But she's holding on to hope.

John lost his job six months ago.
He's got a wife, three kids at home.
Doesn't know what to do,
He's praying for a breakthrough.

Some wanna raise a fist up high,
Blame all the hard things on the Father in the sky,
But He hears when we call.
We can trust him through it all.

He's the God of every story,
He sees each tear that falls.
We may not understand but one thing is certain.
He is faithful, He's a faithful God.

Jordan's had a lifetime of hard days
And all the pills won't take the pain away,
But before he hits the ground
He see Mercy reaching down.

He's the God of every story,
He sees each tear that falls.
We may not understand but one thing is certain.
He is faithful, He's a faithful God.

His ways are holier
Than we could ever comprehend.
When our world is shaking,
He holds us in the palm of His hand.

Young Martin is thankful he's alive;
The doctors said he might not survive.
That was seven years ago...
What a miracle.

And now there's this new baby girl
And with one breath she's changed our whole world.
Some say she looks like dad,
But she looks like grace to me.
Your grace to me.

You're the God of every story,
You see each tear that falls.
We may not understand but one thing is certain.
You are faithful, You are faithful.

You're the God of every story,
No matter what I'm going through.
I may not understand, You are God and I am just a man.
Yeah I'm forever trusting in Your plan.
One thing is certain
You are faithful, You're faithful God.

Life is Messy...Monday

The mountain of paperwork, files, and bills on my desk has grown so high, I have to reach behind a lopsided stack to turn on my computer monitor. This compressed chaos is also trying to take over my mind. But I resist the pressure to stop everything else until I have every thing in order. Instead I choose (or rather, force myself) to prioritize, do what I can, and let go of the rest.

To my very neat loving, orderly self it is very hard to accept that "Life is messy and that's okay." But the message really settled in, coming through loud and clear, when my Grandpa died.

My Grammy always fussed at him to take his work boots off, outside on the stoop in the summer, and at the top of the basement stairs during bad weather. I don't think he minded, it was a practical request, and he did it without complaint.

But there was something he wouldn't do. When he undressed for his nightly shower, he placed his work clothes in a pile next to the laundry hamper. After he came out to watch TV, Grammy would go into the bathroom and clean up behind him. Then like clock work, she would come into the living room and ask him why he didn't put his laundry in the hamper? He would answer her calmly, "I put it in a pile." We thought it was funny when Grandpa didn't do what Grammy wanted. She wasn't amused.

I don't know when or how that routine of theirs started, years later when I asked her about it - she smiled sadly and told me how much she missed picking up his laundry.

So when practically grown children leave a trail of evidence that they are home, or my husband's shoes aren't put away, or there's dishes in the sink, and laundry in the washer, I stop and remind myself that if having my loved one's around means things are messy, then I'll take messy.

Dear Lord, I realize I am only talking about mere inconveniences, and that You specialize in dealing with the gut-wrenching, heart-breaking, soul-aching messiness of each of our lives. Thank You.

Click here to listen to Kari Jobe remind us what God does for us when life is messy and we are scared: http://youtu.be/q9Xb8hVimU4

Written by Mary M. Wilkins

EPIPHANY... Sunday

Devotional for 1/5/14

An epiphany is a sudden and striking realization - an "Aha!" moment.  Have you ever had one of those?  Many of us have.  The most striking ones often are epiphanies about our own wrong perceptions or paradigms.

Tomorrow, January 6th, is the traditional day to celebrate the coming of the wisemen, on what we call Epiphany.  In the church year it is about the Christ coming not only to the Jews, but also to the whole world.  It is a sudden revealing of God's gift to all of mankind, not just a select few.  The star that led the Magi was a light to all, Jews and Gentiles, revealing that the Savior of all had come. 

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.” 

 ... they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was.  When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.  On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.    Matthew 2:1- 2, 9-11 NIV 

Dear heavenly Father, help me to see my incorrect vision of others and of the world.  Give me that "epiphany" that you desire in my eyes and heart.  Grow in me my own love of all that you provide.  Help me to realize that I need to be a light to all people, of your great love sent to earth as a tiny baby in your son, Jesus Christ.  Help me to be your witness of the freedom you give in Him to all people.  In whose name I pray,  Amen.  

written by Jan Andersen