My daughter Maggie is due with her first baby any day now. Her sister Emmy came to Chicago for a few days, hoping to be present for the birth, but little Hally Christine isn't quite ready to make her grand appearance... yet.We're all waiting.Waiting is hard, isn't it? I know we all have had circumstances that have brought us to crying out, "I want it NOW!" (whatever it is). This is the thing, while we are waiting for something, we are also waiting with something, and we get to choose what that something is. For example, we can be:waiting with expectancywaiting with frustrationwaiting with hopewaiting with impatiencewaiting with joywaiting with despair.As you are waiting for something, what are you waiting with? Today, as I am waiting for the birth of my first grandchild, I want to wait with expectancy, with hope, and with joy. Just like a little embryo takes time to develop and grow before her right time to enter the world, our faith also has to mature before we receive what we are longing for. It's important to remember that while we are waiting, two things are happening: we are growing in our dependence on the Lord AND God is working out His best plans for each one of us.So, while you are waiting for something, allow God to teach you about Himself. Learn to trust Him more. Believe He is at work. Wait with....you choose. And then, at the divinely appointed time, God will birth exactly what He knows is best for you.Our soul waits for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name. Psalm 33:20-21In the morning, Lord, You hear my voice; in the morning, I lay my requests before You and wait expectantly. Psalm 5:3

Not too long ago, I came across one of my favorite Bible stories. It's found in 2 Chronicles 20:1-22. I encourage you to take three minutes to read it.To paraphrase, Judah was being attacked on all sides. King Jehoshaphat was afraid and set his face to seek the Lord (2 Chronicles 20:3). He called the people of Judah together and lifted up his voice to the Lord in a desperate prayer, saying, O our God...we do not know what to do but our eyes are on you. The earthly problem and then the divine outcome is remarkable.Tucked inside this story is my theme verse for 2020. The verse's meaning and it's reference (chapter 20, verse 20) is what led me to claim it:... Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be established; believe his prophets and you will succeed. 2 Chronicles 20:20.These words were powerfully spoken to God's people thousands of years ago, and they are just as alive today. We are called to put our full faith in the Lord our God; and we are called to believe in His word. (Back then God spoke through His prophets; today, He speaks to us through His Son, who is the Word--see Hebrews 1:10). When we do these two things and act on them in faith, we are promised two things: we will be established and we will succeed.So on January 1 and February 17 and April 28 and June 7 and August 22 and October 15 and December 11 and every day in between and after that, remember these two simple things: believe God; believe His word. If you truly believe in both the power and the love of God, you will then truly believe in the Words; therefore, the next logical step is to obey Him wholeheartedly. And just like King Jehoshaphat and his people were rewarded back then, you will be blessed in ways you would not have imagined...all because you lived out your faith.Spiritual "2020 vision" is believing God, and believing His word. Let's look forward to being established and succeeding this year as we live out our faith moment by moment.

I have a collection of manger scenes, some small, some large, all unique. I love getting them out each year and finding a special spot for them. For some reason, as I have looked at these over the last couple of weeks, my eyes have been drawn to the manger bed that holds the Christ-child. How strange to focus in on something so seemingly unimportant. Why not concentrate more on the angels and their glorious singing? Or the wise men and the shining star? Or even Mary and Joseph in their wonderment? Hmmm, the manger bed? What’s the point?

And then, it hit me. We, each one of us, are that simple but unique vessel that cradles Christ. Just as Jesus was laid in the humble feeding trough 2000 years ago, He has poured Himself into our hearts through His Spirit today. This truth is the Good News that the angels sang about!  We, through faith in Him, have the opportunity to house His holiness. We are not the point, but we have the incredible privilege of holding the Answer to life so all can admire and  behold the Point: Jesus.

This Christmas, and then forward, consider the indescribable gift we have been given: the humbled privilege of cradling the King of kings. Hold Him securely for yourself, and then lift Him up for others so they can behold their Savior.

And this will be a sign for you; you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths, and lying in a manger (Luke 2:12).

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not ourselves (2 corinthians 4:7).

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As we are now in the thick of the holiday season, the propensity to be distracted by so many things increases by the day, so much so that we lose focus of the one thing we are celebrating (see Luke 10:41-42). Let’s face it, we are a frantic and frazzled people, all in the name of Christmas.

Today, I’m hoping to pull you back in with some pleasant and peaceful thoughts about the one thing we are celebrating, Jesus.

The first thought is the lead-in question: If you were asked to describe your core personality with two words, what would those words be? Wholesome and happy?  Calm and collected? Eager and excitable? Passionate and powerful? Think about this question for a while, and really answer it.

Now for the second thought, the main question: Do you know the two words that Jesus used to describe Himself? It’s found tucked into some of the most familiar verses that we know as believers:

Come to Me, all you who are weary and heavy-laden and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle and humble of heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  Mt. 11:28-29

Wow, Jesus, King of kings, called Himself…gentle. Jesus, Lord of lords, deemed Himself…humble.

The awesome paradox continues from Isaiah 9:6:

The Wonderful Counselor… left His holy throne room.
The Mighty God…was placed in a mother’s womb, and then into a feeding trough.
The Everlasting Father…walked the dusty streets of Jerusalem, and also washed feet.
The Prince of Peace…was smitten, stricken, and crowned with thorns.

This God-man emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant…and He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Phil. 2:7-8

So today, my friend, think of the one thing that’s important, especially during this season. As you hit the ground runnin’ with your feet, keep the gentle and humble One tucked in your heart. He is the One that we are celebrating. Sing Him a song or two: a song of worship as King of all creation, followed by a song of thanksgiving as Savior of the world.

Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which translated means, “God with us.” Mt. 1:22

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My interior decorator friend Madelaine and I have another wreath to add to our seasonal collection. All of these wreaths, Holiday Wreath of Hope, Winter Wreath of Peace, Spring Wreath of Grace, and Summer Wreath of Life, bear a spiritual significance to their intentional elements. Here is the Fall Wreath of Thankfulness:

1. Start with a grapevine wreath. All our wreaths begin with the dry twisted grapevine to exhibit who we are without the life of Christ. We chase other things to fill us, but to no avail. In the book of Ruth, Naomi and her family displayed this very thing by seeking refuge in a foreign land. After ten years of chasing, she came back to Bethlehem declaring, "I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty" (Ruth 1:21).
2. Add heads of grain around the whole wreath. It is in our emptiness that Jesus enters in. Just as Ruth and Naomi traveled back to Bethlehem, the "House of Bread", we too have the opportunity to feast on the true words of Christ, the bread of Life. Jesus proclaims, I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty (John 6:35).
3. Add three large red flowers of your choosing. These flowers represent the love of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit that is lavished on us. When we believe in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, we are touched with this love. His love even indwells us through His Spirit. The red flowers also signify the blood of Christ which was the price that was paid in order for us to receive this love. Scripture says, In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that He lavished on us... (Ephesians 1:7). We now bear His love!
4. Add sprigs of gold berries on both sides of the wreath. The gold in these berries represent the glory of Christ when he died on the cross. Again, it took His death to give us Life--this sacrificial act was the most glorious act of all time! The night Jesus died, He prayed, Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify You (John 1:1). Also, through faith in Him, we now have Christ in us, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27). We now bear His light!
5. Add three dried orange pods throughout wreath. These orange pods represent our choice to also "die to self and live to Christ." We are part of His plan in bringing others to a saving knowledge of Him. We are called to share His light and His love. Scripture says, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit" (John 12:24).

We have much to be thankful for this season, and ALWAYS. The Lord Jesus fills our emptiness with His love! He teaches us through His word! He takes away our sin! He gives us His glory!Let's pass this truth along so others can join in this beautiful cycle of Life. Make a Fall Wreath of Thankfulness with a friend. Hang it on your door, and share its meaning to all those who enter your home. Rejoice in His abundant goodness.

My feelings cannot be trusted. One day I'm skipping along without a worry in the world; then the very next day, I might be carrying the weight of this world on my shoulders. Things that sway my emotions range from fatigue, hormones, outside circumstances, inner wrestlings, discouragement in the present, or fear of the future. If I operated from these feelings, I know I wouldn't be writing to you right now.By God's grace and patience, He has kindly grown me in His word, and for that I am grateful. Over time, meaning years of slow maturing, He has taught me to daily rely more on the FILLING of His word rather than the FEELING of my emotions. I'm getting stronger in this practice--mainly because I've had to practice it often! I am learning to not only fill up with His truth but also to claim it AS TRUTH, no matter how I feel at the moment.For example, I tend to deal with fear and discouragement that can easily spiral into a depressed spirit. UGH, it's like walking in thick fog sometimes; let me say UGH again! BUT, in this unpleasant place I am learning to speak promises that God has made to me in His word. The specific growth spurt I have had recently is that I am claiming these truths with more UMPH than I have in my past. God's word is true, and my feelings can be so very false. So, UMPH over UGH is my goal each time the fog sets in!"He lights my lamp; He illumines my darkness" (Psalm 18:28). One of my life verses is this: "Be strong and courageous, and act; do not fear nor be be dismayed; for the Lord God, my God is with you; He will not fail you nor forsake you..." (1 Chronicles 28:20). To put this to this filling- rather-than-feeling strategy to practice, I say something like, "God I may not feel You right now, but You promise that YOU ARE WITH ME, so I trust You to be here right this second." Or I might say, "God, I feel like You have walked out of this situation. I know that You promise me that YOU WILL NOT LEAVE ME NOR FORSAKE ME, so I trust that You are standing right here by my side. I'm leaning into Your strong support." No matter how I feel, no matter if my circumstances change or not, I'm determined, by faith, to stand steady in His strength, allowing the light of His word to fill my dark places--even if the dark stays dark in the realm of my emotions. My feelings may not change, but my mindset has been filled with His light.I'm still in the learning process, but I'm grateful for the growth thus far. I know that I will have the opportunity to battle again and again. I need Him, and He promises to hold my hand and walk by my side in the highs and lows, and in the sunshine and in the fog of my days. I believe and rely on this truth. Filling not feeling, it's a Way of Life. <>"Now may the God of 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).