I'm in the midst of leading a group of ladies through my ABC devotional in which every letter of the alphabet has a Biblical phrase to live by (https://www.respitefortheweary.com/category/awesome-bible-concepts-abc). Today we came to the Letter "L" and I thought I would share it with all of you. It's a familiar story, but as we enter a New Year, let's hear it again for the purpose of choosing "the good part" from the "get go"...

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‍ Loving Lord of my Life? Synopsis of Luke 10:38-42.

In the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, Jesus was speaking to a room full of people who were hungry to hear truth. His words were full of life and peace, so the crowd sat a His feet, feasting on every word. Meanwhile, Martha was scurrying back and forth in the kitchen preparing food for the people. When she looked up and saw Mary sitting at Jesus' feet, she became indignant. She asked Jesus, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me." Jesus, who loved Martha dearly, said in response, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered by so many things; but only a few things are necessary, really only one…". At this particular time, Martha was allowing the distractions of the world to keep Jesus from being the Lord of her life.

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‍Loving Lord of my Life! Synopsis of Luke 10:38-42 (same passage).

‍Jesus continued His conversation with Martha and pointed to her sister saying, "For Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her." Mary often sat at the feet of Jesus in order to hear His soothing words; they had become life and peace to her soul. She intentionally chose to make room in her life to be still before Him so she could receive His words of grace and guidance; for Jesus, friend of sinners, had become the Lord of her life.

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In comparing these two sisters, both friends of Jesus, here are a few questions:

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Who do I most resemble, Martha or Mary?

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What are my main distractions in my life today?

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Do I want to sit still with the Lord Jesus, with His living word?

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Ugh, the Martha/Mary story. Oh so convicting at times! Interestingly, my post writing was delayed because I have been scurrying back and forth a lot lately. Whew, I'm tired. Then I hear the words, "(Chris, Chris) you are worried and bothered by so many things…". How quickly I can get off track.Thankfully, Jesus waits for me to be still, both body and soul. I must remember that my morning quiet time with Him is the most productive thing I do all day. There, I make Him the Lord of my life all over again-- listening to His words of healing and hope, obeying Him when He tells me to pick things up or put things down, trusting Him with my Edited agenda. When I am filled up in this way, my heart and mind are different; the scurrying and worrying are changed to peace and prayer, and the things I do become an act of worship rather than a list of frustrations. The day, all day, belongs to my Lord.

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Make a intentional decision to be still; choose the one necessary thing…the good part…it will not be taken away from you. Slow down to a complete stop, then really listen at Jesus' feet, so you can be refreshed in truth and rerouted in love. He is waiting especially for you.

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I will keep my words brief... This young family, Rachel and Evan Clinkscales and their 3 kids, with #4 coming in February, is so inspirational to me!

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They have been in China for the last 8 years sharing the gospel (they learned the language!), and now they are answering God's call by moving to Mexico (they know Spanish too!). Their love for Jesus is contagious and their desire for others to know him presses them radically forward.

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As the year ends, would you consider helping them in this transition? Here is their newsletter. If you feel led to give financially or prayerfully, I know they would be so grateful. It is good to support the body of Christ.

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The Clinksdale's FUNDRAISING NEEDS FOR MEXICO MOVE

What is happening in January, 2023?

Through prayerful consideration, we are moving to Mexico at the beginning of the year to have our baby!

This will allow us to put down deep roots for the future as Baby Clinkscales will be a Mexican/American citizen, also making us permanent residents.

There are many reasons this makes sense for our mission as well as financially for our future. Due to increased living costs in Mexico with our growing family, we have immediate financial needs.

We pray you will consider partnering with us as we move forward.

What: We need $2,200/mo. to cover living costs, including rent, transportation, schooling, food, clothing, insurance, etc.There are also large setup costs with this move, including purchasing beds, desks, drawers, couches, tables, chairs, oven, microwave, refrigerator, dishes, etc.If you feel led to help with one or more of these needs, please let us know. Thank you!

When: We are asking for monthly support ASAP! And we will begin to set up our house in January.

Where: You can designate one-time or recurring gifts online at www.KaleoInternational.org.

‍Under the Donate tab, click on the Give button, select Missionary Support and write The Clinkscales in the memo section.

You can also send checks marked

The Clinkscales to:

Kaleo International

PO Box 971511El Paso, TX 79910

Blessings,Evan, Rachel, Hannah, Isaac, and Joseph

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Thanksgiving week is just around the corner. It's time to gather together!

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As we start our holiday lists that can get rather long and stress-filled, let's remember that fellowship is our main focus. The people in our homes are more important than the four walls of our homes. The decorative table is the mere backdrop to the conversation around it. We want the food to taste delicious, but we want the laughter and love to be just as rich! It's embedded in us to desire unity in our family, but how do we gain this gift? I want to suggest a key ingredient is prayer. The Lord reminds me often that prayer is the "secret sauce" to any gathering.

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So, as we start our lists this week, as we go to the grocery store, as we lay out our meal plans and clean our bedrooms, etc, let's decide to use this time in quiet prayer, thanking God for each individual that will enter our homes during the holiday season. Name them out loud as you lift them to the Lord.

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Thank God for the opportunity to gather!

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Ask Him to be present in every conversation and every interaction.

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Ask Him to be the strongest voice and the greatest love and the sweetest blessing in the midst of your family.

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Ask Him to bless your home with both his presence and his peace.

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Our homes are our a gift from the Lord. I've never been without one, and I would imagine, the majority of you have been blessed in this way as well. Our hospitality is our gift back to God. He delights to see us gather together!

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"How good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity." Psalm 133:1

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So let's trim down our to-do lists and beef up our prayer lists. In doing so, we will be more eager to open up our doors with warm and thankful hearts.

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Dear Lord,

Thank you for the gift of our homes. We take for granted the pleasures of kitchens and bathrooms, comfortable beds and cozy dens. Again, we praise you for your tangible goodness to us! As a gift back to you, help us to prepare our hearts for this upcoming holiday. As you know, where people gather, so do potential problems. Relationships are hard to navigate at times! We ask for your mercy and your grace even now. Please Lord, bless us richly with your unifying love. Amen.

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I grew up in the deep southern woods of Mississippi--lots and lots of pine trees towered over our home. So when I moved "way up here" in Tennessee, the colorful fall season took me by surprise. Year after year, I am mesmerized by the radiant reds, the fiery oranges, and the brilliant golds bursting from every tree and bush--incredible, breath-taking beauty.

I'm sure I am not the first to correlate God's seasons with His love story through Christ:

Fall speaks to us about His dying for us on the cross.

Winter represents His burial, enclosed in a death that we will never have to endure.

Spring shouts about His resurrection... a newness of life for all who believe.

And Summer proclaims the ongoing growth and abundance of this new life.

So, here we are again in the seasonal cycle; the glorious fall surrounds us. It's hard to believe these brilliant leaves on the trees are actually dying. But isn't that exactly what happened at the cross? Listen to Jesus' words to His Father, just before He was taken into custody:

Father, it's time. Display the bright splendor of Your Son so the Son in turn may show Your bright splendor." (msg, John 17:1)

Two thousand years ago, the King of Glory hung on a tree, dying. His fiery passion for the world He loved held Him there, not the nails. His perfect crimson blood was willingly shed for you and me. And as our Savior's life was drained from Him, it was the most tragically beautiful gift to behold. Before the darkness of "winter" encroached, the Light of the World triumphantly cried out, "It is finished." Indeed, it was awe-full.

Today, this day, when I see the radiance all around me and watch these colorful trees of the field clapping their hands, I know why they're applauding. I want to join them in honor of the King that gave His life a ransom for many. So I too, will praise Him, and thank Him... for His glorious Fall.

These 4 words can save a life.

I attended a fund raiser with my husband Mac the other night in which Pursue Ministries had a guest speaker. This godly man, Mario Zandstra, spoke to us about how to share the gospel using 4 words:

Sin

Guess what? Sin marks ALL of us, from mass murderer to unkind thinker.

Separation

When we realize that our one “small speck” of an unkind thought or stir-the-pot gossip can separate us from holiness, we’re finally understanding our accurate position before God. No human-good-work is good enough to cover our “big or tiny” sin-mark!

Substitute

BUT GOD…in his rich mercy and with his great love sent his Son, Jesus, to forgive your sin and mine! He chose to be the one and only perfect sacrifice for an imperfect people. Our faith in him is our “ticket” to HIS righteousness.

Salvation

Not only did Jesus die on the cross but he also rose from the dead, which means he was victorious over both sin and death. If you believe this truth, not only do you have the opportunity to have his Spirit living inside of you today to help you navigate your life in this still-messy-world, but you also have a perfect inheritance waiting for you in heaven. Jesus is the gift that keeps on giving, forever!

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These four words: SIN, SEPARATION, SUBSTITUTE, SALVATION are for you, for me, and for anyone that God lays on your heart. The news is too good (and too critical) to keep to ourselves, so think about who it is that you can share it with. Lay fear down, pick courage up.

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Just think, God may use you as the messenger to save this person’s life.

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ps A challenge for you...find the four words/points in this passage...then celebrate its truth!

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At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. Titus 3: 3-7

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If I asked you to define "greatness," how would you respond?

Would it have to do with your job? Climbing that ladder?

Would it have to do with your influence? Checking those numbers?

Would it be tied to your bank account? Counting your income?

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I think in a same-but-different kind of way, we humans equate greatness with anything that feeds our ego: whatever is "higher, bigger, or more" regarding the thing we crave. This sounds silly, but even in my small world of being a 55 year-old Christian writer, I wrestle with wanting to "be great." I want to "change the world for Christ!" This seems honorable, but then, I have learned that sometimes my underlying motives are sorta stinky. Do I want to be great for me? Or do I want to do great work for God? A question for us all to answer.

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To put it bluntly, the definitions above are rather skewed when observing what Jesus has to say about greatness. He actually achieved ALL of the above definitions; after all, he is the King of kings! However, he willingly left his lofty throne, shed his royal robes, and entered into our mixed up world in order to show us a thing or two...

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A day in the life of Jesus:

One day, Jesus was with his (messy, mixed up) disciples, and two in particular, James and John, were feeling pretty high and mighty. They boldly asked Jesus for the privilege of sitting on his right and left side when he came to power. (They mistakenly thought he would reign as an earthly king in their lifetime.) In a paraphrased nutshell, Jesus responded, "Sorry, brothers, you have no idea what you're talking about."

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But then, in the same conversation, in order to make a dramatic point, Jesus went on to say (again paraphrased), "You want to be great? Then...serve."

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The brothers most likely said, or maybe they just thought to themselves at this point, "What?! Serve? Are you crazy, Jesus?! We were wanting to sit down; to lord over; to have power; to be applauded, etc."

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In this dialogue, listen to what the oh-so-patient Teacher said to the flustered brothers:

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Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. Mark 10:43-44

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Jesus served the sick, the poor, and the lost. Are these kinds of people in your way as you are on your road to self-paved greatness? Can you entertain the opposite; that they are in your way for a purpose? You may have been blessed with a significant title, or a powerful influence, or a lot of money. Wonderful! How can you use these gifts and abilities in regards to Jesus' definition of greatness? Choose to answer this question and then make an impact.

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It is true that we are made in the image of God, but I don't believe it's for the purpose of sitting on HIS powerful throne which is reserved for him alone. We are to bear his image in the likeness of a servant. The more we understand and live by this fact, the GREATER impact we will make for his kingdom. Notice, our service to others impacts his kingdom.

In order to be about his kingdom, we must lay down "our kingdom."

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So Lord, help us.

Change our thoughts about what it means to be great. When we start to climb that ladder, or to check those numbers, or to count our income, cause us to pause...and then help us to put these temporary and selfish ambitions down. Then make us determined to serve. We are YOUR image bearers! Put one person on our heart each day, and may your greatness be poured out from us into that individual. YOUR kingdom come, YOUR will be done, one person, one day, at a time. Amen.