“Joy to the world! The Lord is come,” are the words to a familiar Christmas Carol. Similar songs of joy and adoration are sung all over the world during the holidays, but how can we celebrate Christ’s birth when the world is filled with sadness and strife? The excitement of the season can bring some joy through putting up decorations, buying and receiving gifts, and baking cookies, but to some of you, the holiday is a source of dread. You may be grieving the loss of a loved one, dealing with a diagnosis of a terminal illness or the loss of your job. Our circumstances often determine how we feel. How do we overlook the troubles of this world and celebrate the “happiest time of the year”?

There is a way to overlook your circumstances; his name is Jesus. Jesus is no longer that sweet baby in a manger. He died on the cross to save us from our sins, rose to life again, and sits at the right hand of God the Father, in Heaven, interceding for those who love him. Jesus is the gift that keeps on giving. He promises joy, love, and peace to those who call on him. Christ not only promised eternal life with him in Heaven, but peace in our hearts when we ask him to come in.

May the God of all hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

Jesus promised peace to those who believe in him, but he also told us we would have trouble. John 16:33 The difference is that Christ overcame the world, and his peace is beyond human understanding. We must trust God that when we reach out to him, he will give us the strength and peace we need to endure, knowing we have the hope of heaven when we die, and healing for our hearts, right now.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid, John 14:27

This Christmas, come to the stable and receive Jesus. If you already know him, rejoice in your salvation, and anticipate his promised return with joy and thankfulness. If you don’t know him, why not ask him into your heart, today? He promises he will answer anyone who calls on him. His love knows no bounds and he will forgive any sins you are sincerely sorry for.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1John 1:9

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

If you want Jesus to be the Lord of your life and receive his forgiveness and peace, say this prayer or one in your own words.

Holy Father, I believe that your Son, Jesus Christ, died on the cross for my sins. Jesus promised that whoever believes in him would be forgiven and given eternal life. I am sorry for my sins; please forgive me and be my personal Savior. Please put in my heart the peace you promised to those that love you and the desire to follow you the rest of my life. In Jesus’s name I pray. Amen.

I pray that your Christmas be filled with joy that only Christ can give, the joy that overcomes any sorrow or strife you may be feeling, because of the blessed hope we have in Him.

Merry Christmas!!

In Mark 12: 24, Jesus told his apostles, ” Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it and it will be yours.” If this is true, why do some of our prayers never seem to be answered? Using scripture as a guide, let’s examine why God might not be answering your prayers.

If we continue to read the next verse after Mark 12:24, it says: “And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that you Father in heaven may forgive your sins.” Oh! So, there are conditions for God to answer prayer. It makes sense that we need to confess our sins before we ask God for anything. We also need to thank him for what he has already given us. In Philippians 4, verse 6, it says not to worry about anything but by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. Think about it. When your child (or friend) asks for something are you more willing to give it to them if he/she is grateful for what you have already done for him? And if your child has been naughty or rude, would you reward him or her? Of course not! Why should God, who is control of all things, reward us when we are not being obedient?

Another reason we may be hindering our prayers is a lack of faith. James 1:6-7 says But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like the wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord. You may think you do not have enough faith, but Jesus told us if we have the faith of a mustard seed our prayers will be answered. Luke 17:9 It is not easy to have faith, especially when we do not see immediate results. But faith is the assurance of what we hope for even though we cannot see the results, right away. Hebrews 11:1 You can trust God, our father, will answer our prayer at just the right time. If he doesn’t there may be other reasons that we don’t know about. James 4:3 tells us that Jesus told his disciples that their prayers were not being answered because they asked wrongly, meaning selfishly or that if the prayer was answered it would cause harm. Your child may want ice cream for dinner every night, but you wouldn’t allow it because it would be harmful to him.

Asking wrongly……hmm. You may have the best intentions, but our Father knows what we need even before we ask, and he may have something better for you than you can imagine. Matthew 6:8 It is my personal belief that God will not answer my prayer if it will hurt me or someone else, in the long run. However, sometimes God will give us something that is not the best if we keep hounding him for it. When you pray, ask God if it be “his will” so that the outcome is beneficial to you and others who may be affected.

How do we know what God’s will is? We will know what God’s will is by reading and studying his Word, daily. God desires to be close to you but you need to make the effort to be close to him by spending time in prayer and reading the Bible. John 15:7 says, “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” Another way to know God’s will is to learn the 10 Commandments, listed in Exodus 20:2-17. The only way we can be obedient to God is to learn what he tells us to do to be safe and to live productive lives. 1John 3:22 tells us that if we keep God’s commands, we will receive what we ask. No child will know how to behave if no one teaches him how. The Commandments were given to Moses for the Israelites (and future believers) for us to follow so that our lives would reflect our faith in God, which is God the Father, Jesus, his son, and the Holy Spirit.

Maybe God has answered prayer for you without you doing any of these things. That is called grace or unmerited favor. Our Father in heaven loves us so much, he will often give us gifts we do not deserve. The most generous gift of all was giving his Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for our sins so that we would be able to go to heaven after our death. After that, he sent down the Holy Spirit to help the apostles continue Christ’s work and to dwell in every believer in Jesus Christ as God and Savior.

To summarize: Spend time with our Lord, daily. Confess your sins to him and forgive others so God can forgive you and answer your prayers. Trust and believe that God will answer your prayers if they are within his will. Learn more about Jesus and how marvelous God is by reading the Bible. Talk to God, throughout the day, asking the Holy Spirit to keep your thoughts and actions clean. Ask him for help anytime, night or day, at work or at play. He loves you and desires to spend time with you. And remember to thank him for all he does for you. Have you eaten lunch, today? Do you have a bed to sleep in and a warm house? Do you have a job or a family and friends? It is easy to take all this for granted but it can be taken away at a moment’s notice. Not to be fearful, but just be thankful to the one who has your best interest, always.

Ah, Valentine’s Day. Hearts and flowers. Candy. Romance. As a person who likes ribbon and lace, I have always loved seeing the beautiful heart boxes of candy, on the store shelves, and the pink and red cards, in the greeting card section. As a child, I created my own valentines with colored paper and white doilies for my loved ones. While Valentine’s day offers an opportunity to show our love in a sweet, romantic way, there is a deeper kind of love that you can have, every day.

It is not always easy to love. People sometimes hurt, disappoint, reject, or betray us. Our feelings get in the way of loving them. But there is someone who will remain faithful to us when others turn away, Jesus Christ. Jesus promises in Hebrews 13:5 that he will never leave or forsake us. All through the Bible, God tells us to be courageous and that we can depend on him. Deuteronomy 31:8.

There is one requirement, though, for his faithfulness to us. We must first believe in his Son, Jesus Christ, who died on a wooden cross for our sins. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16 KJV.

How is this possible? How can one man cover the sins of the whole world? Jesus was fully man, having been born of a woman, named Mary, but he was also fully God. In Luke 1:35, the angel Gabriel told Mary that the power of the most high would overshadow her and she would give birth to the Son of God. Even though Jesus was fully human and was tempted, as we are, he never sinned. Hebrews 4:15. He was the perfect sacrifice to atone for our sins.

All of us are sinners. No matter how kind or unselfish someone is, they still are not perfect. None of us can hold that standard, only Christ. The penalty for our sin is death and eternal separation from God, but when we ask God for forgiveness all our sins are wiped away and we become his child.

So, if you are looking for someone to love you, if there is a void in your heart, come to Jesus and let him fill you with joy, take way your guilt, and give you the riches of his grace, forever.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for loving me even though I have failed you, over and over, again. Please forgive me and make me your child. The Bible tells us that Jesus died for my sins and, if I believe in him, I will be forgiven and have everlasting life. I believe that Jesus is your Son and wish to receive forgiveness and the joy that comes from knowing you. Please, take away the emptiness in my heart, knowing that you will always love me and never forsake me. I ask this in Jesus’s name. Amen

I’m a little late with this one, but I could not ignore this topic. A short while ago, I let myself spiral down into depression. Someone, in my family, missed an exellent opportunity and I, believing it would have been beneficial for her, fell into dispair. A few days later, I realized my depression was not helpful to me and it certainly would have no effect on the situation (though I tried). But it wasn’t until I read someone’s devotional that I realized my depression was not only harming me but that it was the work of Satan, to defeat me.

So, I slowly made my way to my Bible, prayed for forgiveness, and asked the Holy Spirit for strength and hope. Prayed for forgiveness? Yes. I allowed myself to wallow in sadness and defeat, instead of trusting God. Had someone died? No. Was anyone in an accident? No. Did someone’s house burn down? No. The vision I had for someone was destroyed, but it apparently was meant to be this way and God can use it for good.

There are those times when all seems lost and when that happens there is someone you can turn to. His name is Jesus. Our Lord didn’t just die on a cross and was buried; he rose into Heaven and sits at the Father’s right hand. He intercedes on our behalf and cares everything about us. 1 Peter 1:3, Romans 8:34. We tend to think of God as an stern, omnipotent person who is quick to punish. Nothing could be further from the truth! God is mercifull, full of compassion, patient, and longing for us to come to him.

“The Lord is gracious and full of compssion, slow to anger and great in mercy. The Lord is good to all, and his tender mercies are over all His works.” NKJV.

We all have difficulties in life. God intended for it to be this way. It is through our hardships that we grow and mature. It wasn’t meant to be easy but the Holy Spirit can help us through it, when we submit to him.

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know the teating 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, NIV.

Does this mean that God wants us to always suffer? No, Jesus said who come to him will have life and have it abundantly. He didn’t mean earthly riches, he meant joy, fullfillment, and hope for a future.

“For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and to not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11, NIV.

We all hope for something better and God is the one we can depend on to make all things right, if we depend on him. Have you ever prayed for something and God gave you more than you ever imagined? He has done that for me and he can do it for you, too.

It has been unseasonably warm in New England, this spring, and although it is not officially summer, my 14 yr. old granddaughter and her boyfriend have decided to go swimming in an undisclosed spot. When she first told me, I gingerly asked her to describe where she and her friend went. “It was a pond…or a lake, by his house,” she said. She also said that her friend warned her not to jump off the high wall but that she could jump off the low wall. Needless to say, I was alarmed. Trying to be non-judgmental, I told her that her place didn’t sound safe. I shared my experience at a reservoir, years ago, and how I swam in a deep pothole with my ex and his friend. We were ok but it wasn’t safe. A day later I did research on nearby swimming areas. There were none in the area she described. So, I did the unthinkable. I texted her mom, my daughter about it. I emphasized how I didn’t want my granddaughter to be punished, but I wanted her to be safe. My daughter took it for granted that the kids were in a safe spot, since her boyfriend’s mom asked permission for the kids to spend time together, after school. When I told her about the wall, she began to be concerned. I have been praying about this for three days and hope my daughter takes a ride to the swimming spot to see, for herself, if this area is appropriate for swimming. I love my daughter and don’t want a tragedy, this summer.

Serendipity, the occurance of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way. Hmmm, by chance you say? I don’t believe it, nor do I believe in coincidence. Don’t misunderstand. I love it when some positive unexpected occurance or thing shows up, but I don’t believe these things just happen. I believe they are orchestrated by God.

Our Lord loves to give gifts to his children, especially little surprises that bring joy to a our day. When you are out shopping and you run into a friend, it is not a coincidence but a planned incidence by a Father who sees our need for connection. You may be surprised and pleased to find money in an old purse, and think you had just forgotten it. But God has you discover it, at just the right time, to cover an expense or to just bless you. Have you ever listened to a sermon and believed it was meant just for you? Did the Pastor know what you needed to hear or did God?

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and to not harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

A huge example of divine serendipity was the discovery of my husband’s kidney cancer. He was seeing a neurologist for neuropathy in his feet. The doctor wanted to make sure he had no impingements in his spinal column and ordered a MRI. The MRI showed a large tumor on one of his kidneys, which was deemed cancerous. You may think this was far from good news, but the cancerous tumor was encapsulated and although the kidney was also removed, the cancer had not spread. There had been no symptoms that would have alerted us that the kidney was diseased, so this unexpected diagnosis was a blessing.

Another example of divine serendipity was when we discovered our house. We had been working with a lovely realtor and were supposed to meet with her, at a specific time. She was delayed, so, in the meantime, we decided to look at some open houses. This one particular house had the most beautiful white kitchen and bright white floors, so different than the dark trailer we had been living in for four years. Our realtor was not in favor of us buying this house. If she had been with us, she may never had shown it to us. Coincidence? Perhaps, but you will never convince me of that.

So, the next time you experience serendipity consider that someone is looking out for you, directing you, comforting you, or blessing you.

Have you ever wished you could explore some far away place? Visions pop into my mind of Petra, a temple, intricately carved from a canyon or Japan’s snow capped Mt. Fugi with sweet smelling cherry blossoms in the cities below. Or, perhaps, you desire a trip to the moon to see the swirling seas from afar. Imagine watching Saturn, Venus, and Mars from the confines of your spaceship in space. But then, maybe the ocean you’ll go, to the deep dark ocean, below. Will you swim with a whale or touch a shark’s tale or swim with the dolphins above?

Wherever you go, new adventures await, whether in opportunities or adventures. Is it worth the risk to venture forth from your comfort? I say, “Let’s jump in!” #hopewriterlife

I had the intention to lose weight….but I didn’t.

I had the intention to visit a lonely neighbor…..but I didn’t.

I had the intention of spending time with God….but I didn’t.

I had the intention of calling a friend…..but I didn’t.

Self absorbsion is such a curse. When one reaches out to others a blessing occurs. Spend time with the Lord and he’ll fill you with joy and give peace to your heart and strength for the day. Then when you decide to lose weight you can do it! And when prompted, you can bless others with a visit. Rise above your own needs and reach out to others. In God’s strength we can be his light in this world.

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13 NKJV

The sounds of nature, music, and the voices of loved ones are pleasing to my ears. There are times, though, that I need a quiet place, a place to pray and study God’s word. To begin this intimate time with Jesus, I need to be still, to quiet the thoughts in my head and to ignore the interruptions that may intrude. As I read my devotional, for the day, I contemplate what the verses mean and how they pertain to my life. Many times, the verses clearly show that God knows exactly what I need to hear. If I am really “listening”, I ask the Holy Spirit for help in the direction I need to go. In a quiet moment, I can “hear” what the Lord is telling me and respond. I “hear” his voice through scripture and in my mind . His kindness, his forgiveness, and his love are always waiting for me when I take the time to be quiet, in his presence.

Now that I live in Arizona with its tall cactus, paloverde trees, and open sky, I am amazed at the towering trees, dense bushes, and green grass as we enter New England. The terrain, there, is so different from the dusty, warm climate in the southwest. In New England, the summers are warm and humid with frequent rain showers. Most days, in Arizona, you can expect blue, sunny skies that circle all around you. Flowers bloom all year round and until December or January, I hardly ever need a jacket.

However lovely our warmth and perpetual springs may be, though, I often miss the deep, white snow that winter brings, in New England. I loved coming in from shoveling, my nose red and tingly, to a cup of hot chocolate and a warm blanket to snuggle in. As the temps drop in Arizona, I am only too anxious to slip into my jeans and long sleeve shirts. We even have a faux fireplace that gives off heat that we enjoy while watching TV.

This fall, I was supposed to be flying back to New England for a huge family reunion. I was looking forward to the red, orange, and yellow leaves from the maple and oak trees. I imagined the crisp cool air of Autumn and planned on buying pumpkins and apples for the grandchildren. Unfortunately, a change of plans put the airline tickets on hold, for now. Maybe next year….