It may be entirely possible for you to serve your husband, a relative, or anyone in your circle and not feel you’re receiving anything in return. However, your heavenly Father is always watching, and the measure you use to bless others will be used to bless you in return.
I can still remember being sequestered in the “Bride’s Room” of our church just moments before the organist began to play for the early arrivals. As I sat in front of an oversized gilded mirror trying not to wrinkle my dress, I daydreamed about the man who would become my husband in just a few moments. He was everything I had ever hoped for: handsome, smart, ambitious, and strong. And most important, he loved Jesus.
I set out to tackle a task I had put off for many years. I didn’t really want to do it at all. It was the job of cleaning out my ministry storage closet. A closet filled with boxes of memories collected over twenty years.
Who in the world would wait until Christmas Eve to do their Christmas shopping? I find it hard to believe the statistics that show December 24th is one of the biggest shopping days of the year, so one season I decided to venture out to the stores and see for myself.
Every year, I search for Christmas poems, stories, and traditions that stir my soul and keep my focus on Jesus. Perhaps none has tugged my heartstrings like the treasure I am sharing with you today. It is a letter that could have been written by Mary. Join me now and let’s peek over Joseph’s shoulder as he reads this letter from his beloved.
Yard sales. I’ve never really liked them. But when we were preparing to move from our home of twenty years, we decided it was the best way to clean out the clutter and make a little money.
So many of us are equipped to live the abundant life in Christ but don’t even know it. We suit up, but settle in. We resign ourselves to living the mediocre faith void of vibrancy, wonderment, and awe. Don’t head to the bathtub with your scuba equipment on. Head out to the ocean of preordained opportunity and experience all that God has for you.
Perhaps you feel just about as “lucky” as a lost dog. Hobbling along. Impaired vision. Broken tail. Well, you get the picture. There was a woman in the Bible who also felt like she was out of luck and had nothing to give. But then God showed her how to fill up so that she could pour out. Her story is found in 1 Kings 17, and it begins with a man named Elijah.
Shattered dreams open doors to better dreams…dreams we never even thought to imagine. They become fertilizer in which God’s best for us can grow. And that’s a promise.
I was so disappointed. I had worked really hard on a project, and to be honest, it was a flop. It seemed that not as many people loved it as much as I did. And it made me just want to pitch a tent in the land of disappointment and quit!
