“And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room in the inn.”   Luke 2:7

No room. How well I know that feeling right now. 

With all of those holiday preparations still to be done and time dwindling with each tick of the clock, there is no room for one more thing and no time to get it all done. But still here I sit looking for a way to squeeze in one more visit with a friend, one more trip to the store, and just one more dozen cookies yet to be made. 

In the midst of my countdown to Christmas, I did it. I made room to have friends over. I made time to get to the grocery store to be able to prepare a family Christmas feast – or two. I made time to check each gift off my list. I even made time to get my nails done! Wow – isn’t that amazing. A true Christmas miracle … or not. 

No room. 

Now as I pause in all of this hustle and bustle, I remember two things we told our children as they became teenagers and began to venture out on their own. 1) Make good choices, and 2) Leave room for Jesus. Truth be told, as we hurry and scurry through life, I still tell them this occasionally even though they are grown and out on their own. 

No room.

Today, I took time to read the whole Christmas story in my Bible. You know this really isn’t a story about No Room. It is a story about Making Room. 

Make room for Jesus.

A young girl and boy had their world turned upside down and opened themselves for ridicule as they made room for the Christ child. The innkeeper and his wife made room in a manger among the animals to welcome the Savior. The shepherds made room for a journey to see and then share the Good News. The three wise men made room in their minds to embrace this new Truth and follow a star to present gifts to the Wonderful Counselor, protecting Him along the way.

Make room for Jesus. 

Now, we are called to make room for Emmanuel – God with us. 

He is with us. 

So, can we do it this season and throughout the year? Will we do it? 

Make room for Jesus. All year long. Emmanuel – God with us. 

You can take Him any and everywhere. He was born in a lowly manger and later rose from the grave to sit at the right hand of God, our Father. He’s seen it all. 

Take another look at your plans this week, this season, and for the year ahead.

Make room for Jesus and make good choices!

(Read the full story – Matthew 1:18-25, 2:1-23 and Luke 2:1-20) 

“I looked at the earth, and it was formless and empty, and at the heavens, and their light was gone.”                                                                                                 Jeremiah 4:23 (NIV)

I reclined in the chair admiring my work. The color-coordinated decorations were just right. Everything perfectly scattered among the branches. I thought to myself, “This is a beautiful tree.  Good job!”

Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw it … a bare spot. A space totally void of decoration. No glass ornament. No festive bow. Not even a twinkling light. How could this be? A flaw in my perfectly beautiful tree.

I contemplated moving an ornament but that would create a different bare spot. I checked the box of decorations and all of the ornaments for this tree had been used. Unable to find a solution at the moment, I decided the bare spot wasn’t so bad. Right? It would take too much rearranging to try to fix it right then so I decided to leave it. It was near the back of the tree so no one else would notice.

The Christmas tree is beautiful and I love to sit and admire it in the quiet, dark morning. Yet, each day when I sit down to gaze upon it, I get this feeling that something just isn’t quite right. 

It’s that bare spot. I just can’t ignore it. My eyes drift directly toward it each time I recline and take in the sights of this beautiful season.  Yet, it is hardly even noticeable.

If you were to visit my home today I bet you wouldn’t be able to spot it. But, I know it is there. 

A bare spot. An empty space.

Our lives during the Christmas season can be similar to this tree. We try to put it all together with everything just right. Yet, there is still a bare spot, something that is missing. An empty space in our tree of life. 

Some bare spots are new. It wasn’t there last year. Then, as hard as we try to fill the void there just isn’t enough stuff or fluff to fill in that space without leaving a gap somewhere else. 

Other bare spots appear each year. They may shrink over time as we collect new things to replace what is broken, lost, or missing, but the original tree will never be the same. 

Sometimes our bare spots are clearly visible to everyone and others we cleverly hide by turning things just to hide the void.

How can this tree be so full yet still empty in that one spot? How can I be so full of life yet still feel incomplete?

As hard as I try each year (really each day), everything can’t be just so or always put together just right. No tree is perfect. Nothing is flawless. We all have bare spots – literally and figuratively. But each tree is beautiful. Each life meaningful. 

Don’t let those bare spots keep you from celebrating the season. Let God help decorate your life and fill in some of those bare spots and embrace the others – you know, the ones that are just part of your tree, your life. 

If you doubt God can fill your void, read Genesis 1:2, “Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the spirit of God was hovering over the water.”  

Just look at the heavens and the earth. He did a pretty awesome job starting with nothing.

When we feel formless or empty, He can certainly work wonders. He is hovering over you now. Let Him fill your bare spots – today and very day!

This holiday season (from now to the beginning of the New Year), I am sending out some previously posted messages. These are some of my favorites and reflect my heart during this time. So if you’ve read these before, I hope somehow the words strike a new chord with you. I always pray these words are just what you need at just the right time. Note: Today’s offering may be better digested following your Thanksgiving meal – Happy Reading and Happy Thanksgiving!

“Thou prepares a table before me in the presence of mine enemies; thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.”                                                   Psalm 23:5 (RSV)

Full. That is where I seem to find myself during the holidays. Full. You might be feeling that way yourself right about now as well.

Full from overeating. Everywhere you look there is more food and now it’s not just the leftovers; but the holiday baking has just begun. Go ahead, break out the stretchy pants. 

Full of family and guests. A full house. People everywhere you turn. Each one of them needy in their own way. Leaving no room for you to take care of your own needs.

Full of events and activities. A full calendar. A celebration here and there. Time with friends and family. Plus, your normal obligations. Plus, decorating to do. And don’t forget to squeeze in that shopping. 

Yep – it’s that time of year. We are all full in one way or another.

Lately though, I have found myself full in yet a different way. In the midst of my daily frustrations, the holiday happenings, and all the things that drive me bonkers on top of all that, my heart is full.

I don’t mean full as in heavy. Although, I often feel that way it seems. This is different. 

Full. Full as in overflowing. 

In the middle of the holiday chaos, I looked around and realized how deeply I am blessed. I am blessed with great kids who come home to spend time with me. I have parents who are proud of me and support us all with their unconditional love. I have extended family who add extra seasoning to my life. I have great friends with whom I laugh and cry (sometimes at the same time). And I have a husband who has stuck by my side through the highs and lows of life loving me all along the way. Not to mention the material comforts of a home filled with laughter, love, and tears.

Now that the first wave of the holiday season has come and gone, the house is empty again, but I am still full.

So it is with truly a thankful heart that I pass along to you this simple thought: Allow yourself to be full. Let your cup runneth over with the blessings given to you each day as you walk with the Lord. 

I know some days you feel like your cup may not even be half full – maybe you think your cup is too big to ever be overflowing. Be realistic in your expectations. Your cup will run over before you know it. 

Take time to read Psalm 23 in its entirety. It only takes a couple of minutes. Then, don’t let yourself become full and overwhelmed – but full of the good stuff you are given. That stuff that surrounds us each day that we fail to truly appreciate. Remember the simple things. 

Let your heart be full this season – especially on those days when you feel like you are running on empty. No stretchy pants required!

“May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other.”           I Thessalonians 3:12

“My son, pay attention to what I say; turn your ear to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart;”                       Proverbs 4:20-21 (NIV)

While driving in my car, I was singing along with the song on the radio (yes, FM radio) when it happened – the station started going in and out. I would hear a few words … [crackling] … then pieces … wor— [crackling] … Then the song came back clearly – long enough for me to get into singing again and only to be disappointed when I lost the good signal again and heard nothing. but. static.

If I know a song well enough and am familiar with the words (or most of the words), I just keep singing along through the static.

I am persistent. Well … until I’m not. 

When I’m not, I finally give up and tune to another radio station. Not my favorite one, but at least one that is not fading in and out. I wait awhile – maybe two minutes, two days, or two weeks – Then, I try the other station again.

My experience with my car radio reminds me of how I hear God. Sometimes the message is crystal clear and at other times I only get every other word not able to clearly receive His message. 

I think maybe if I get to a better spot (higher ground) I can get better reception. But how long will that take and how long will that last? When I’m in those low spots isn’t that when I need Him most? Yet, this is when He seems hardest to hear. 

I discovered the best way to break through the static of this world and everyday life is to prepare myself to sing along even when the music – or in this case, God’s message – fades. I need to learn the words now to be able to sing along later.

I learned all of my favorite songs by listening to them over and over – now, I get (most of) the words right even when interrupted by the static. 

The same must be true in my spiritual life as well. I need to continuously and continually read the scriptures. Immerse myself in God’s word. 

By doing this when those times come and God’s direction for me seems unclear, the gaps will be filled with the strength of His message. 

Join me in singing through the static by writing His words on your heart. 

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”  Proverbs 4:23 (NIV)

Dear Lord,

I know that when I can’t hear you it isn’t because you are not there. The static of this world often gets in the way and makes me hard of hearing. Help me fill in those gaps with the truth of Your word by writing it on my heart so that in the static of life I can continue to sing along with You.

Amen.

“Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”                                  II Corinthians 9:7 (NIV)

Our family finished dinner including dessert which was a platter of fresh baked cookies. As the kids lingered talking at the table, I began to clear the dishes noticing one lone treat. Have you ever noticed? It always works out that way with cookies – there is usually one last cookie left on the platter or in the package. It is a strange phenomenon. No matter how many people there are the number of cookies never disperses evenly so you are left with one last cookie.

I have seen arguments over the last cookie. I have seen people, young and old, pitch a temper tantrum because someone else ate the last cookie. I remember arguing with my siblings and later college roommates over the last cookie stemming from the selfish nature that everything should be all mine. By adulthood I did, however, learn that in polite society you never take the last of anything when at a public gathering – unless it is directly offered and insisted upon by the host. 

When I got married, I began to learn a little more about sharing and caring about the happiness of others so often times I would save the last treat for my beloved or we would go through the “you take it … no, you take it” routine trying to please and be polite. This forfeiting of the prize however shouldn’t be confused with being a cheerful giver.

Further maturing as a parent, I learned the act of giving without reluctance and without compulsion. As soon as my child was able to eat solid food I learned I would never again be the recipient of the last cookie and I was OK with that. As parents, we give our kids the last of everything – freely – cheerfully. 

Through life lessons and the principle of the last cookie, I have learned that kindness and politeness in the right spirit have a positive effect on me. I have also learned the wonderful feeling of leaving something behind for others to enjoy whether it is a simple treat like a cookie or something much nicer.

The last cookie is a very simplistic example of a bigger concept. As much as I love cookies, leaving the last one behind for someone else to enjoy is simple compared to giving the last of other things that I have. My last dollar. My last free minute. My last or only child.

We are called to give a lot of things in life. Time.  Money. Ourselves. But do we do that freely? Cheerfully? I have to admit, no. I am selfish. Just like the last cookie, I want to argue, pout or hide it to save it for myself. But over the years, I have come to appreciate the fulfillment in giving things away. The whole “the more you give the more you get” concept is really true. (Although it isn’t always easy or comfortable.) 

It is time to apply the principle of the last cookie. Today, give someone else the last of something … with a smile … cheerfully. You will be blessed. Also, on those occasions where you get to appreciate the last cookie – enjoy every bite!

“Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord— (for we walk by faith and not by sight); 
we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.”                                                                   2 Corinthians 5: 6-8 (NASB)

One day as I was in deep thought – ok, it was more like day dreaming – about the daily things of life when the word Home came to mind. As I pondered this word the following phrases came to mind: Home is where the heart is. Home Sweet Home. And the ever-popular: There’s no place like home. No matter what, everything that came to mind was positive, heart-warming, comforting. 

After a long day at work – or shopping – sometimes I just couldn’t wait to get home, to rest, to be at ease. There have been many days when I jumped in the car (ok, so it is more like a crawl sometimes) after work and headed for home and then when I pulled in my driveway I realized I wasn’t quite sure how I got there.

Getting home is automatic. Like auto pilot. I am programmed to go directly home with little thought given to the mechanics of how I get there. Have you ever gotten in the car leaving work, or church, or a friend’s house with the intent of making a side trip somewhere else before going home only to find yourself a block from your humble abode having forgotten to run your errand? This never happens to me of course… but I’ve heard stories of such. 

Each of us have made that trip back home so many times it takes little conscious effort to get there. Many thoughts preoccupy our minds (thoughts of the lengthy to do list, worries of our children or parents, a difficult situation we are dealing with…), and we are distracted from the task at hand; yet, we can always find our way home. To a place where we find comfort and understanding from those who love us most. A place where you can take your shoes off, slide into some comfortable PJ pants, and just be. Isn’t it refreshing just to pull into the driveway? Don’t you breathe a little easier? Focus better? 

I imagine this is what our ultimate going home will be like. We often hear talk of passing away as “Going Home” or “Being at home now”. Some memorial services are referred to as a Home Going. Through the unbearable grief of the loss of a friend or family member, I can’t help but consider that person the lucky one. No more pain. No more sorrow. The ultimate eternal celebration. Those of us left behind have the difficult burden of this crazy world to bear. 

In my pondering of the word Home, I came full circle – from the day I brought my own children into our home to the conceptualization of my final journey Home. I realize my daily task now is to live my life so that I am creating a well-worn path between me and My Heavenly Father –  starting and ending my day at home with the Bible and prayer. Then, I imagine one day it will be like those days where I have given all that I have at work and jump (or crawl) into my car and head home only to find myself wondering how I got there so quickly and not remembering some of the mundane things along the way. I will experience that sense of relief and joy of truly being Home. I can’t imagine a better feeling than that! 

“Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.’” Matthew 16:24-25 (KJV)

When I was in college in the 1980s, I had a bumper sticker prominently displayed over my study desk. It read: He who dies with the most toys wins! At that point in my life, I really bought into that philosophy (no pun intended).

I felt like a certain amount of happiness came from what you possessed – materially speaking. I placed a lot of value on things like my Izod shirts and my Gucci watch. I innocently enough believed that having a happy, successful life equated to not just having more but having more of the right stuff. I felt that owning certain things reflected success and would add to my personal value.  

As a result, I accumulated a lot of stuff over the years. Stuff that I felt defined me and, to a certain extent, increased my worth. I feel like I spent a lot of time trying to carve out my place in this world by seeking more (of everything) – more square footage, more horsepower, more work, more, more, more – only to discover that who I am has little to do with what I own and where I live but has everything to do with who I serve and how I live.  

Growing and maturing over the years physically and faithfully, I began to clearly understand that less is more. Less of me and more of Christ. This knowledge and understanding led me to greater self-discovery. When I learned and started to live this, I found my true self along with greater contentment and happiness. 

Less is more. Less of what I want and more of what He wants gives my life more of the right stuff – more meaning and value than I could ever could imagine. 

Now that I am older and hopefully wiser, I find myself purging most of that stuff from my younger days. I want less. I want to lighten my load literally and figuratively. I want less. I want less to make more – less stuff to take care of and more room for time with those I love and less focus on what the world defines as happiness and success and more focus on what God has in store for me which He promises is for my good. 

Don’t get me wrong, I still appreciate certain creature comforts and still have that Gucci watch (as a keepsake) but those things don’t define me and are no longer my focus. Life is so much more rewarding with my priorities in order (God and family first) and my focus where it needs to be (my faith walk).

Simply put in Philippians 4:21: “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” 

So back to that bumper sticker – He who dies with the most toys definitely does not win. He who gives his life to Jesus wins it all! 

As you go throughout your day and plan the week ahead, remember less is more.

“Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”       Matthew 19:24 (ESV)

As a parent, I know I have many short comings. Nobody’s perfect, but sometimes I find there are little things that I failed to pass on to my kids leaving me thinking, “How did I miss that?”

One day my daughter called and mentioned she had two pair of pants belonging to her husband that were missing a button. I simply told her to sew them on and let her know I even had some extra buttons in case she needed one or two. Then, she told me she didn’t know how to sew on a button. My initial reaction was “How do you not know how to do that?” To which her humbling response was “You never taught me.” Ouch.

As a mom, I felt I had failed in not teaching her something so basic before sending her out into the world. I know it’s a small thing but a good and necessary skill to have. 

To rectify this situation, we decided she would come over prior to a family gathering for a quick lesson. With a similar dilemma, my daughter-in-law decided to join us as well. To prepare, I got out all the necessary things. I made sure they each had the correct size and color buttons needed, the appropriate color of thread, and a needle. As we began, I told them threading the needle would be the hardest part. I prepared myself for this to take a few excruciating and frustrating minutes because personally it always takes me quite a few tries. 

Much to my surprise, they each successfully threaded the needle on the first attempt. I don’t know if my eyesight is getting worse or if I just make things harder than they have to be, but I never get it on the first try! As I observed my girls follow the simple directions I gave, I noticed how eager they were to learn and how careful they were to do exactly what I said. When we were done, both girls were proud of their work, and I was proud to have shared a simple thing that made a difference to them.

All of this reminds me of Jesus’ lessons in Matthew chapters 18 and 19. In Chapter 18 verse 3, He tells us, “… ‘unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.’”  This emphasizes how important it is that we pay attention and trust His instruction following closely and modeling His behavior just like children model what we teach them – no matter how old they are.

Expanding on this, He further teaches us in Matthew 19:24 that it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. I don’t know about you but sometimes when I sit down to sew I think it would be easier to get a camel through the eye of the needle than that flimsy thread! Of course, the real point being made here is that getting into heaven has nothing to do with our worldly works and earthly treasures (you can’t take it with you). It’s impossible to get into heaven on our own – God is the only one who can make the impossible possible. 

That time together for our sewing lesson taught me – #1 we are never too old to learn from our parents and #2 no matter how old our kids are we continue to parent, to teach, and pass on our knowledge and skills. 

It is the same with us and God. We must acknowledge we still have things to learn, remain teachable, and continue to go to Him for instruction. 

“I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.”       Psalm 119:15-16

Many years ago, upon adopting a German Shepherd (Max), my husband decided to take him to puppy training classes, what some call obedience school. He graduated with high praise upon completing the basic class andthe advanced class. We were so proud! 

More recently, we made the decision to adopt not one but two Labrador -English Setter puppies (Sadie and Zelda). Our thought being the girls, as we call them, would entertain each other and not get lonely. Mission accomplished: they are perfect playmates and are definitely two peas in a pod. They are also 2 times everything else – 2x the vet visits, 2x the food, and 2x the energy (actually it feels like 8x the energy). It didn’t take us long to realize that our girls would need obedience classes too so we could handle them as they grew in size and strength. We both attended every class along with the girls. I enjoyed the structured time with our pets and learned so much about how to raise them to be more focused and well-behaved.  

In the training, we learned valuable commands like watch me, sit, stay, come, release, and my favorite – leave it. I found Watch Me and Leave It to be two of the most beneficial commands. When we learned Watch Me it required the puppy to stop, sit, and focus on the owner before receiving the command to release. This has proven beneficial when needing the girls to calm down and regroup. I use Watch Me (and often times Leave it) on a daily basis when we are on our walk as Zelda gets distracted by every bug, butterfly, and leaf. 

Just because they graduated from puppy school doesn’t ensure that we have 100% perfect pups. As you can imagine, the effectiveness of the obedience training overall is greatly affected by our consistency and practice with the girls. We have to reinforce what they learned daily to get the desired results. 

The scripture above reminds us that the same is true about our Christian training. Think about it. In His word, God reminds us of His commands. To live in His will, it requires our obedience. When I am about to make a decision, I can almost hear Him say Come and Watch Me. When I pray for an answer, I don’t always get my desired response. Sometimes, He tells me to Stay or Leave It. For our Christian training to be effective, it takes practice and consistency. Just because you accept the invitation for salvation, it doesn’t make you a perfect person. We are all far from that, but we can become more and more like Jesus by being obedient to His commands. 

Remember this when you become distracted on your daily walk as a Christian. Hear God saying, “Watch Me” to regain your focus and remember your purpose.

 “You have commanded your precepts to be kept diligently. Oh that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes! Then I shall not be put to shame, having my eyes fixed on all your commandments.”  Psalm 119:4-6