Thinking on these things . . .

It's what we want out of Christmas - it's the "wow" factor we're aiming for with our gifts and decorating. "Like a kid at Christmas" is that look on a face of anticipation and joy and incredulousness and wonder all wrapped up in one gigantic smile and wide-open eyes. My kids are older now so I'd forgotten how intoxicating that look can be until I was at a Cub Scout Christmas party. Santa had come and was handing out gifts to the children. There were two little girls there, siblings, and when Santa walked in you'd think they were about to explode with happiness. They looked at him, and each other, and then back at him with smiles that practically wrapped around their little heads. There were no words to describe how they were feeling and still hardly sufficient words to communicate how they looked. It was pure magic. This was undoubtedly the highlight of their day or, from the looks of it, their lives! For me however this party was just anoth...

Here, at home, the holidays don't look the same as they years ago; the number at the table is fewer, the pile of gifts under the tree smaller. The loss of loved ones keeps it from being "the most wonderful time of the year" until I  ponder  that "better is one day in Your court than a thousand elsewhere" (Psalms 84:10 NIV). They are home for the holidays, not in our homes, but in God's presence. The same God who has welcomed them home will also provide grace for our every need and will someday wipe all tears from our eyes as well. So, to you specifically this season, may God gift you with peace.

I live on the cheap side of life. Not necessarily frugal as that implies thoughtful comparison of price to quality, I'm just cheap. Why pay $10 when you can get something "just as good" for $2? Of course a low price can mean cheap goods like the many pairs of stretchy knit "magic" gloves that are in singles throughout my house. I pulled a pair on and discovered holes between 3 of the 5 fingers - and these were the new ones! Highly ineffective in single degree temperatures! But as I was doing Christmas shopping I saw them, and I bought them, a pair of isotoner gloves. They slid onto my hands seamlessly and snugly cocooned them in sleek warmth. It's hard to believe that what I had been wearing and what I wore now could both be considered gloves! Christmas is a season of loving. We endeavor through our gift giving to communicate that we love someone I mean seriously, what else would have someone out in the stores at this time of year?! This is the time t...

I don't know all that transpired so that we celebrate Christmas in December, but it does strike me how highly appropriate it is that, at this time of the year when there is more darkness than light, this is when we celebrate the coming of The Light of the World...   In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light . That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. ... But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children...

I've have this amazing ball of yarn - it's soft and warm and has this fantastic coloring. It is simply a ball of potential! In my hands this yarn will become a scarf. Those are the tools I have and that is the knowledge I possess. But in the hands of someone else, with different tools and other ideas, it could become a garment of warmth, or a thing of great beauty. An artist would look at this yarn and see possibilities I'd never imagine. An expert in yarn craft could construct an item I'd never considered. The ball of yarn remains the same - with its particular mix of characteristics - but its potential outcome is all dependent on in whose hands it lies... We all are a mix of experiences, personalities, temperaments, and talents. We are all lives full of potential.. So the question is what to do with them? How to craft who we are with what we have into a significant contribution and lasting legacy? My hands are not that talented or capable, merely adequate...

I have vivid memories of  the Christmas catalog from when I was a child.  Do you as well? Every year one would come in the mail and my sister and I would lay on the floor and turn it page by page and make our lists of what we wanted - or sometimes we'd just circle the stuff. Yep, as you guessed it, sometimes we'd have to go get a fresh pen as ours was, suddenly, surprisingly, out of ink! These were the things I wanted to make my Christmas happy - and of course to make me the first kid on the block to have the latest and greatest thingamabob! Times have changed. One year my son "cut and pasted" off the Toys R Us website what he wanted into a Word document. The ads now come in the Sunday paper and in the sidebars of every other webpage. According to the Chicago Tribune from Dec. 5th preteens most wished for item this year is an IPad; while the children over 13 most desired a computer.  I'm thinking the 1975 $2.77 Malibu Barbie featured here wouldn't exact...

I was far from home and grabbed a towel from the rack in the hotel bathroom. It was about as thick as a piece of paper and barely bigger than a hand towel. It was both disappointing and ineffectual for its task. When I was home I reached for a towel and found it thirsty lushness wrapped around me like a queen sized blanket. It was more than enough; it was extravagant. Both situations were similar in what I needed but the difference lie in where I was. At home I found all I needed and more – but away from home the result was inadequacy and disappointment. We’re seeking, and needy, and vulnerable. How are we and where are we while we’re trying to meet those needs? If we are far from home we’re on our own to find happiness, fulfillment, purpose, or love; often we come up short. But if we are home we have a Father who delights in providing for us (Psalms 37:23) and promises that we’ll have all that we need (Psalms 23:1). When we are home we will flourish and have joy because we are...

...of warm snuggly blankets, fa la la la la, la la la la! Baby, it's cold outside! And, although I'm inside it's still cold!  So 'tis the season so bring out the warm blankets and drape them on every arm of every chair. (Seriously it looks like a giant slumber party is always going on in my living room!) My favorite is a new one that's microfiber lined with sherpa which makes it soft and super warm. If I could make it into an outfit I'd wear it everywhere!  But for now I sit in my big blue chair this morning under my warm blanket as I open God's Word to feed my heart and I read,  "Unfailing love surrounds those who trust in the Lord." Psalms 32:10 NLT I feel loved as I sit here all cozy and still; comforted by His care for me as the demands of the day have yet to have me distracted and running. But "unfailing love surrounds those who trust the Lord" - surrounds - not just covers me when I'm still and reflective but surrounds ...

It's become iconic; the scraggly tree with the lone red ornament, as we remember Christmases of our youth from when  A Charlie Brown Christmas first aired in 1965. Beyond the nostalgia though is the original meaning, that Christmas is more than commercialism and excess but that it is, as Linus quotes (click for clip) from Luke 2, all about the birth of Jesus. It is the scrawny tree vs. the forest of colorful aluminum monstrosities and, it is also for us, the devotion to the Savior of a single heart - your heart - against the bedlam of Christmas obligations and expectations. So when you're shopping this season and see this little tree (which, ironically, true to the season's materialism you can now buy everywhere), let it remind you that the most important thing is your heart seeking the babe in the manager, more than anything and everything else.

It's one of the oldest and most tired jokes... "Why do you keep banging your head against the wall?" "Because it feels so good when I stop!" We are wounded people. Wounded by life, by circumstances, by family, friends and associates. Some are wounds of the stabbing, twisting life-altering type that leave us in stunned shock. Others are more like a paper cut - not life threatening but that still hurt like the dickens. Recently I was sucker punched - which, as the name implies, just adds insult to injury as you don't see it coming! But what has impacted me more than the wounding was the resulting assistance and comfort I received from others around me. Because of their care I came away with a new appreciation for their friendship and gratefulness to God for their presence in my life. Would I have had that attitude if I’d not experienced the pain? Probably not. So are wounds worth the rewards? I can’t answer that question. Today, for me, I would s...

I am not a roller coasting loving kind of girl, nor am I fond of small tight places. Unfortunately I remembered each of these facts after being launched into a five story tube of water. Deep breaths. Slow, deep breaths. It was pitch black in here. I was okay for a few seconds and then the tube twisted on itself launching me against the side. More breaths. Ragged. Shallow. A distinct impression that the walls were closing in. Ah, lights! It’s the end! What a relief! ... ..... ....... ......... ........... ............. The darkness, if possible, seemed deeper as I continued to rush forward leaving the lights left far behind. How long was this going to last? How long could I last having no awareness of anything beyond the darkness and falling and the feeling that I wouldn’t make it if this lasted much longer? A water park ride is one thing but when you’re plunging through life and circumstances with no control; that is a kind of scary that doesn't end in a...

There is something special about being pregnant around Christmas for no matter how frantic and frenzied everything gets around you your thoughts never get too far from the life you’re carrying within you. Be pregnant this Christmas. Yes, I do mean you… Be cognizant of the life you carry within you – in your heart. Remember that the relationship you have with the Savior is what those around you, harried in their busyness, are seeking. This season is all about peace, joy, and love. We, as children of God, know the truest meaning of those words. We have experienced peace in the unsure, joy despite long dark valleys, and love that is unconditional. We know the real reason for the baby in the manger. We understand that Christmas is really all about Easter. And Easter is all about God who so desires a relationship with us that He’d sacrifice His Son for our redemption. Christmas is all about the gift of God’s love. Birth that gift into your world this season.

Just in case you hadn’t notice the million ads on television or the four inch thick paper that arrived on Thanksgiving, today is Black Friday. This is the day that officially kicks off the Christmas shopping season with special sales that began at 3 am so, if you played your cards right, you could be done by breakfast! I am sure that there were hundred of thousands who were out this morning and I know my girlfriend was one of them; only she wasn’t at the mall but instead cooking breakfast at a battered women’s shelter. Few are the things that motivate us to get out of our beds in the middle of the night; for some it may be the thrill of being in a crush of a holiday crowd (although I don’t know who!), for her it was the chance to do something for others and thereby show the love of Christ, and for some, out this morning, it was a sacrifice of their own comforts in order to afford a gift they know will bring a loved one great joy. Many bemoan the fact that Thanksgiving has become ...

Chronic -ugh - even the word makes one cringe! Merriam Webster's dictionary defines it as " marked by long duration, by frequent recurrence over a long time" . This word originated around the 1520's from the Greek khronikos meaning "of time" and vague disapproving sense is from association with diseases (a connection found since c.1600). I hurt my back last week and since then have a new appreciation and sympathy for those who have chronic pain. I know how crabby I've been, so I can't imagine what it is like to wake up every morning knowing the day will be pain filled and one's ability limited. But, the more I think about it, I realize that we all wake up each morning to chronic conditions. It may be physical or perhaps it is emotional, spiritual, or relational in the form of an ongoing situation, besetting sin, or problematic relationship; something that, as you look back over your life, has been there for years upon years. I was flipping th...

My whole world has titled off its axis just a bit since yesterday. Why, you might ask? It’s because I washed all my windows. In Chicago we've had some unusually mild weather so, before the blizzards blow, I took advantage of the warm days and cleaned all the windows inside and out. A clarity has been added. Gone are the smudges, the built up dirt that distorted the view as I looked outside. The light in my house is now brighter, clearer and it changes what I see and how I feel. Life is messy. We get smudges on our souls and the dirt of discontent builds up on our spirits; but then God provides agents to wash it away. It may be a song, a sermon, a conference, a comment, a catastrophe, or a circumstance and suddenly we see life more clearly and it changes everything. Matthew West sings in My Own Little World about his small safe world with "population: me” until he sees a homeless widow and now his world consists of two. What would we see if our eyes were opened? ...

I know not - how God moves how prayer works what God plans why bad things happen or what my future holds. BUT I know the One in whom I trust and am confident that He is capable. Those who know your name trust in you for you O Lord have never abandoned anyone who searches for you . ( Psalms 9:10 NLT). I know whom I have believed  and am persuaded that He is able  to keep what I have committed to Him until that day ( II Timothy 1:12 NKJV).

  Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. (Luke 12:6,7) "What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost . (Matthew 18:12-14) O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my every thought when far away.  You chart the path ahead of me and tell me where to stop and rest. Every moment you know where I am ...You both precede and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head . (Psalms 139:1-5) 

The streamers of ribbon and pearls rode the wave of long brown hair cascading down her back; her headdress telling all that she was special, she was royalty, for tonight she was the princess. She was also the mom who had thrown on her daughter's crown as she was walking around with her family as they trick-or-treated. She was the rapidly aging woman who was realizing she was no longer as attractive, fearless, hope-filled, or energetic as once she was. She was all grown up now and, at the rate her kids were growing up, she’d too quickly become an empty nester. Her castle was filled with projects well intentioned but only begun and piles of responsibilities waiting to be sorted. Her lists were always longer than her hours and she’d discovered the white horse, that her knight had arrived on, involved a great deal of upkeep. Her court of ladies brought her great joy however castle responsibilities left them little time for repose. There were the endless rounds of engagements t...

Have you ever felt like the dumbest…. No, wait, I’m not even going to ask that question because I hope your answer would be “No. Of course not. I have no idea what you’re talking about!” (And just in case that wouldn’t be your response, I won’t even ask). I hate that feeling. Like not only is everyone around you “getting it” but that it really isn’t that difficult a concept and there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be able to comprehend it. For me it is a depressing, isolating, frustrating and discouraging experience, feeling stupid is not fun. Now it is one thing when it happens in a school situation –quite another in a work environment – and most serious of all when it occurs in “real life.” School might mean a bad grade, work could be a loss in advancement or employment but what about when we’re missing it in life? I find that I get into a situation, have a problem, a decision to make or a conflict and suddenly I’m the kid with the blank stare on her face. What am I supposed to...

For the past few days we've had 20 to 60 mph winds and they are brutal; I keep expecting tree branches to land on the roof... I had also expected that these vicious winds would strip the trees of all their colorful leaves... but as you can see from the video, they have not! (if video does not appear click here http://thinking-on-these-things.blogspot.com/2010/10/tenacity.html ) These are autumn leaves - they are already on their way out - they've got just a few more weeks until they fall to earth and die - their summer season is over yet they are still hanging on and holding firm for all they are worth. Their glory days are over and these winds are fierce yet these leaves are tenacious! How tenacious are we when the winds blow? It is easier to be dedicated and have that bulldog determination when we're younger or the situation is new but how about when the winds are familiar as we have already had to hold on through many previous storms? When this is not your firs...

My daughter is in the opera Carmen at the Lyric Opera in Chicago.  This is a big deal as it's not a small town hall kind of presentation. The fact that the main floor tickets are $194 should tell you something in itself! At last night's performance Yonghoon Lee, who is in the starring role of "Don Jose", brought in a cookie cake to the children's chorus and on it he'd had written "Jesus loves you very much". Yonghoon Lee is South Korean and Katie says seems to speak broken English.  He is young and a rapidly rising star in the opera word with a smooth powerful voice. Everything about him could say "diva" but this star chose to share his faith with a group of children. His ingenuity speaks to his passion for Christ. This was something he never "had" to do yet went out of his way to do as a witness. Think about this (as I've done nothing but think about it since she came home with this news). He's leaving Chicago soon a...

It's happened. I knew it would although I was hoping it wouldn't  for at least a few more years; but it's already happened twice... I had to phone a friend. For help. With my son's homework... I knew eventually he'd be in a subject I couldn't help him with and I expected it to be Calculus or Honors Biology; surely I could be the expert on all things through elementary school and Jr. High... Nope. And it even gets worse than that; last night when I was talking to the friend having it explained to me so I could explain it to him I couldn't understand it and had to turn the phone over to my son to hear the explanation and who understood it immediately! (and I'm still not clear on the whole subject...) There comes these times when we don't have the answer; as much as we want to and as desirous as we are to help, we can't. But we know One who can. He has promised to give wisdom to those who ask (James 1:5). We know that He desires for us to wa...

There are experiences that cannot be described adequately by words or captured on film and walking through a boulevard of trees as the leaves rain down on you and crunch underfoot is one of those inexplicable and heart-awing moments. You are surrounded by beauty, so stunning you are silenced as you watch the glorious color that is over you and also swirling around and showering down. And then these leaves remain on the pathway, audible reminders of their presence completing this whole multi-sensory immersion into the grandeur of Fall. It is the season of gratitude; of open eyes to the majesty of God's faithful care over us and the blessings He showers down upon us. It is the perfect time to realize that as the leaves falling from the trees are many, so also have been our blessings. Typically my family will make lists around Thanksgiving of what they are grateful for but this year it is time to visualize the blessings as they're showered on us - not in neat r...

I love my eye doctor! He is the most enjoyable and engaging medical professional I have ever been forced to spend time with (seeing that two of the four of us are quite bereft in the vision department, it has been a decent amount of time).  He is knowledgeable, funny, and caring, and  he takes his time with the exam and in answering all my questions.  I love it as a patient in the chair, not so much as one in the waiting room but at least I know my time with his undivided attention is coming. Last night he dilated my pupils and, although I've worn contacts the majority of my life, I'm still a bit squeamish about things being put into my eyes but it was necessary. So I laid my head back and opened my eyes wide for the drops. After a few minutes, when my pupils were wide open and fixed in place so they couldn't constrict; he took an extremely bright light and, getting right up to my eye, looked through my open pupils to the back to che...

I’ve given up trying to remember... I’m not saying I’m old but I’ve given up trying to remember things. And, since it seems my memory is only as long as my pencil, I make lists – lots of lists –for everything because writing it down is my only hope of remembering what it is that I’m supposed to get done! I wish I could say this was a new thing but if it’s a sign of old age I’ve been old for decades! There is always so much to do isn’t there? I feel that I cross one thing off and then add two more. I’ve discovered this morning that I’m not the only one… “While they were traveling, He entered a village, and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who also sat at the Lord’s feet and was listening to what He said. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks and she came up and asked, ‘Lord, don’t You care that my sister has left me to serve alone? So tell her to give me a hand.’ The Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset ab...

"You brought me safely from my mother's womb and led me to trust you...You have been my God from the moment I was born." Psalms 22:9-10 Every birth is a miracle although sometimes there is more awareness of that miracle than other times - difficult conceptions, tenuous pregnancies, and deliveries that don't go as planned lead one to affirm, "You, God, brought me safely from my mother's womb!" My own two children can praise God in that way as they each wanted to make their appearance into the world far earlier than expected (overachievers from the very beginning I guess!) and I claim this verse as my own as well. The year was 1966 and a girl was pregnant. I don't know her name and  never remember seeing her face. The pregnancy was unwanted and,  although I do not know the circumstances, this baby's future was uncertain. Was she young? Unmarried? Were her parents supportive and helpful or distant? Was she sent away to give birth as girls ...

I had a necklace and I'd lost it; so after months of not finding it I decided it was time to replace it. Bringing it home I noticed how shiny it seemed and sparkly. Of course the afternoon I came home with the replacement necklace I found the original one! With them side by side now you could really tell the difference between the two. One was brand new and unsullied yet the other was a deeper sheen. So compared to the old would I keep the new instead? All bright, fresh, and shiny? Not a chance. I had begun wearing this cross necklace as a reminder to myself of who it is I belong to and to whom is entrusted with my care. The subsequent years found me fingering it through hospital rooms and doctor’s offices, entering a new decade, and days in which life just didn’t work the way it was “supposed” to. It had come to represents a faith that is old and experienced; and a God that has been tried and proven Himself faithful time and time again. I remember the shininess of first l...

"If Jesus Christ appeared in the flesh to you right this minute, I seriously doubt that you would care how your favorite football team can improve its offense. I don’t think it would matter anymore whether you need to pick up a gallon of milk on the way home. I don’t think you would be worried about how you would get that bill paid. I think you would be captivated by His presence. Awed by His magnificence. Lost in the wonder of His love, and trembling in fear of His power and holiness." ( Ovation blog - Andy Wood - Clearing out the mental clutter - September 20, 2010) After I read these words I stopped to imagine such a scene - What if Jesus were to suddenly knock at my door and come in and sit on my couch?  How would His presence with me, in my space, impact my day? What would it be like if Jesus were here with me? But the amazing thing is that, He is. He is already in your house, on your couch, next to you while on the computer. There's not a moment tod...

As I am without a church home, every Sunday is a little bit different as we're going to various churches and I find the type of church we're attending impacts what I'll be wearing.  This morning it was casual pants and ballet flats, last week it was a skirt and heels. One service had hymnbooks and the other words on a screen; one a guy with a guitar, the other an amazing choir. On the platform today was a young pastor in jeans while last week there was an older minister in a suit behind a pulpit. The beauty of it was that each church, as different as they are, were still a place of worship and that I, in heels or flats, was still coming from love for my God. There is no dress code when coming to God; no special outfitting necessary before He loves us. If I pray with "Our Father who art in heaven" or "Lord, help!", God hears my prayer. If my preferred translation is  KJV or NLT, the Spirit of God still speaks through His Word. There are no qualif...