Category: Our Exceptional God

Home For Christmas

I’ll Be Home For Christmas!

Cue music  🙂

I'll be home for Christmas

Ahhh, the memories of a Christmas past.

I’ll never forget the time I braved an uncooperative plane, a speeding cab, and a broken-down bus all to get home for Christmas.

Not exactly like the movie “Planes, Trains, and Automobiles” – but close . . . sort of.

What an adventure that was – with its ups and downs, disappointments, breakdowns, and big-time delays, but I was determined to make it home – no matter what.

The Beginning of the Journey Home for Christmas

Many years ago, as a television reporter in Louisiana, I often worked on the holidays. Not fun, but it came with the territory.

One year, it was my turn.

I remember telling my parents, who were living three states away, that I wouldn’t be able to make it home that year.

They were sad, and I was sad. The idea of spending a Christmas alone in my tiny apartment was nothing short of a miserable feeling.

Everyone else had a home to go to for the holidays, except me, whose parents lived out of state.

I had to do something. I remember pleading with the news director and he finally relented with some conditions.

The deal was that I would have to pre-record a few feature stories that the station could run during the Christmas broadcast. If any news emergencies occurred, they would handle it. I was so grateful to him and excited about taking the evening flight home to surprise my parents.

I just wanna get home.

The Friday night after I finished my shift, one of my co-workers gave me a ride to the airport.

He dropped me off, and I headed inside to join the long line at the ticket counter. When it was my turn, the ticket agent gave me the bad news that my flight had been cancelled.

Wait . . . what?

I was devastated. She saw the sad look on my face and told me to hurry outside and catch a cab to the downtown bus station. There was only one bus leaving that night for my hometown.

I jumped into the first cab I could find, and we literally raced to the bus station several miles away.

After “the ride of terror” was over, and a few newly acquired gray hairs made their appearance, the cab driver dropped me off and I got in yet another line to grab one of the last remaining bus tickets home.

I just wanna get home.

home for Christmas

Delays and Frustrations

The adventure continued.

My new mode of transportation started its dicey journey along the icy roads of New Orleans. We got onto the interstate okay, but minutes later, the bus driver pulled over onto the shoulder.

She made the announcement that the bus was breaking down, and we’d have to wait there for a new bus to pick us up to continue the trip.

I checked my watch. Another delay.

I just wanna get home.

About a half hour later, the new bus arrived, and all passengers got on board, hoping that now our journey would be a smooth one and we’d make up all the time we lost.

I was determined to remain positive.

One power nap on this bus, and then I’ll wake up and be home already.

What I didn’t realize was that the bus had to stop in every little town along the way.

Oh, it was frustrating.

Other passengers around me were getting anxious, and sometimes mad. I sat up front near the driver, but it was impossible to get away from the glum vibe circulating in the bus.

The journey continued. All in all, what should have been a 3 ½ hour trip turned into 7 hours.

I just wanna get home.

We finally made it.

Right after 2:00 a.m. that next morning, the bus pulled into my hometown.  

Hallelujah! I’m home.

I got off the bus and saw the most welcoming, unexpected, sight.

It turns out my parents had found out about my little surprise and were there waiting for me!!

The sight of my Dad standing there with his arms open wide to give me a big hug made the journey worth it – even the setbacks.

Trust His Plan

There’s a lesson in this when I think back about it.

Isn’t that what we Christians are waiting and hoping for at our appointed time?

This life is often fraught with disappointments, trials, and delays – but some day in the future, Jesus will welcome us to our eternal home with loving arms.

There will be no homecoming like it.

Our Savior . . . waiting for you, and for me.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Merry Christmas

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The Forgiveness Challenge

Taking The Forgiveness Challenge

Are you up for a challenge?

How about a forgiveness challenge?

I can promise you it may not be easy, depending on your circumstances.

Here goes.

Think of someone right now who purposely makes your life difficult.

Did they make you mad?

Did they make you cry?

Perhaps the continuing conflict was started by:

  • A family member
  • A coworker
  • Someone you used to be friends with

It could be anybody who seems bound and determined to get your goat.

Mr. or Mrs. Irritating can turn your smile into a frown real quick.

How can we forgive a person like that?

forgiveness

Why Forgive Them?

Because you are forgiven.

Forgive “them”, and move on with your life.

Fellow Christian writer, Marianne Custer, offers a godly perspective with her piece, “I Challenge you.”

I Challenge You

by Marlene Custer 
11/11/19

Recently I began pondering how to enrich my Christian walk.  I grabbed my Bible and found three challenges.   In his first epistle the Apostle Peter urges us twice to ‘love deeply’.  Deeply here means very intense, extreme, immeasurable.  I have no trouble loving my children and grandchildren deeply.  But that annoying neighbor, the church gossip, or the homeless person I may meet is another story.  Jesus said this is how all men would know we are His disciples, if we have love for one another.  Yes, I want to cultivate a deep love for others.

Second I want to work on forgiving unreservedly.  I have lived long enough to be hurt.  A careless word, questioned motives, or worse, something negative said about my child or grandchild.  But refusing to forgive doesn’t make the hurt better.  Recently, I saw a quote that said, ‘The most influential person in your life is the one you haven’t forgiven.’  That’s reason enough to just ‘let it go’!

And third, I challenge myself to savor God’s Word daily.  Savor means to enjoy to the fullest.  When I read God’s Word I am allowing Him to talk to me.  Yet I so often neglect that privilege.  Psalm 119:105 (NIV) declares, “Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.”  Just as I need light to guide my physical feet, I need light on my spiritual path.  An added benefit is as I immerse myself in God’s Word, loving others and forgiving them becomes easier.

Father, please help me to love deeply, forgive unreservedly, and savor Your Word daily.

NIV  1 Peter 1:22, 1 Peter 4:8, John 13:35, Matthew 6:15

A Valuable Takeaway From the Forgiveness Challenge

My favorite line in Marlene’s piece is the quote that she shared, one packed with meaning that should stay with all of us.

“The most influential person in your life is the one you haven’t forgiven.”

Let it go!

peace and forgiveness

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1Poetry shared, courtesy of Marlene Custer, from FaithWriters url: https://www.faithwriters.com/article-details.php?id=185177.

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Happy Thanksgiving 2019!

Wishing You A Happy Thanksgiving 2019

Happy Thanksgiving 2019

May your day be filled with joy, but even more importantly, gratitude for the One Who gave His own life so that you could have Eternal Life.

Gratitude = Praise

How would you describe gratitude?

Saying thanks

Appreciating all of God’s blessings

A thankful heart is one of the primary identifying characteristics of a believer. It stands in stark contrast to pride, selfishness, and worry. And it helps fortify the believer’s trust in the Lord and reliance of His provision, even in the toughest times. No matter how choppy the seas become, a believer’s heart is buoyed by constant praise and gratefulness to the Lord.1 – John MacArthur, Pastor and Bible Teacher, Grace To You.

Thank You Jesus

A.W Tozer offers another great description of gratitude here.

Gratitude is an offering precious in the sight of God, and it is one that the poorest of us can make and be not poorer, but richer for having made it.2 – A.W. Tozer, Christian theologian and author.

As we close out another year, I wanted to take this opportunity to say that I am deeply thankful to all of you who have visited my blog posts over the years. I have watched the number of visitors grow over time, more than I could have imagined.

All glory to God forever!

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1 John MacArthur quotation, courtesy of Crosswalk.com. 14 November, 2016. #12. Web. Accessed 12 November, 2019. Retrieved from https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/spiritual-life/inspiring-quotes/30-christian-quotes-about-thankfulness.html

2 A.W.Tozer (1897-1963) quotation, courtesy of Crosswalk.com. n.d. Web. Accessed 14 November, 2019. Retrieved from https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/spiritual-life/inspiring-quotes/30-christian-quotes-about-thankfulness.html

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Encourage Your Pastor

Thank You, Pastor

Are you blessed with a wonderful pastor at your church?

If so, have you ever told him personally how much you appreciate his Biblical sermons and how they’ve helped you in your Bible studies?

It’s so important to encourage your pastor!

An expositor cares little if his audience says, “What a great sermon” or “What an entertaining speaker.”

What he truly wants them to say is, “Now I know what that passage means,” or “I better understand who God is and what He requires of me.” – Gotquestions.org.1

Our pastors need a boost of encouragement now and then, just like we all do.

encourage your pastor

There’s an annual Pastor Appreciation Day (Oct 13th), but if you missed the official recognition day, it’s never too late to say, “Thank you!”

I hate to admit it, but I’ve sometimes neglected this myself.

I’ve written emails and spoken directly to church pastors over the years, but in the busyness of life, sometimes I forget how important it is to offer appreciation for a pastor who holds true to God’s Word.

Fellow Christian writer John Clark offers a gentle reminder to encourage your pastor in one of his recent poems.

POEM FOR PASTORS
by John Clark 
10/27/19

Pastors come from all walks of life.
Many come from so far away.
They help people through sickness and strife.
And help them not to be led astray.

When pastors get a call from God
To serve in a church and save the lost,
They don’t do this on a whim,
But must be willing to count the cost.

They are all great people of God
Who desire to know His will and obey.
And when God gives them the nod,
They simply want to trust and pray.

Pastors go wherever God may lead,
To cities, towns, and countrysides,
To minister to those in need,
So people will in God abide.

They pray and read, and study the Word,
Baptizing people who come to know
The truth of the Gospel so many times heard.
Then share it with the world as they go.

We love our pastors for all that they do.
We all want to say how much we love you!

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1Courtesy of GotQuestions.org. “What is expository preaching.” n.d., para. 10. Web. Accessed 18 November, 2019. Retrieved from https://www.gotquestions.org/expository-preaching.html

2Poetry shared, courtesy of John Clark, from Faith Writers article url: https://www.faithwriters.com/article-details.php?id=185177

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Be Encouraged

Be Encouraged With InspireMore

Are you sick of all the negativity and vitriol in the world lately?

Is it hard to be encouraged as you watch secular influences continue to push the world away from God? 

We know God is working His Master Plan, but because we don’t know His timing, it’s up to us to stay encouraged, encourage each other, and trust His will while we wait.

Are you ready to smile?

A dear friend recently told me about a great website that I hadn’t heard of before.

After checking it out personally, I wanted to share it with you because it’s just the right dose of optimism you might need for difficult days ahead.

It’s called InspireMore.

Have you heard of it before?

If you sign up, InspireMore will send you positive and inspirational stories every day.

Take it from me, it’s a positive way to start the day with a happy heart.

Here’s a good example of what I’m talking about from the InspireMore website.

Enjoy.

How To Start Your Day With A Smile

Want to start your day happy?

The easiest way is to sign up on the InspireMore website. The stories and videos will come directly to you via your email address. Or, if you prefer, you can check the website every day to read new content.

Here’s a glimpse at their mission statement:

Tired of all the negative media? You’re in the right place. InspireMore is a community of passionate people connecting daily to ignite hope and inspiration in themselves and others. – InspireMore Mission Statement.1

Please Note: not all of the articles presented are outwardly Christian stories, but what you will find in many of them are expressions of God-given grace.

I wanted to share another story with you. If you’re an animal lover, I dare you not to shed a tear over this one!

 

I’ll close with this encouraging meme – a reminder that we are never alone.

God with us!

be encouraged

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1 Mission Statement, courtesy of InspireMore.com. [About Us page]. Web. Accessed 8 November, 2019. Retrieved from https://www.inspiremore.com/about-us/

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