26 Week 1, Day 5 of Lent

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On February 26, 2023

In Easter/Lent, Temptation

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When are you most susceptible to temptation? And how do you respond?  Do you give in?  How do you feel after the temptation?  Don’t beat yourself up when you give in to temptation.  Everyone is tempted by something every day, but it’s what we do with the temptation that matters.

In Luke 4:1-13 we find three specific temptations that Satan threw at Jesus and how He responded.  Today we’ll look at the first one.

The tempter.  The devil was the tempter.  Are there other tempters?  Yes, there are many people and things that can be tempters in our lives, but it all comes from the oldest tempter in the world, the devil, the one who tempted the first man and woman in the world, and his tactics haven’t changed, only gotten a little more sophisticated and sometimes less subtle.

The doubt.  There’s an IF in this statement by the devil.  He said “IF you are the Son of God”.  Did the devil doubt that Jesus was the Son of God?  Or was he trying to get Jesus to become defensive and hurt by the subtle but sarcastic jab?  Doesn’t that happen to you and I?  Others in our lives know what buttons to push to get us riled up and respond.  It’s not that they doubt us, but that they want to see us respond in an ungodly way which will prove to them that we’re no different than they are and our faith has holes in it.

The temptation.  Temptation is and always will be a part of life here on this earth.  A statement in a footnote in my NLT Life Application Study Bible caught my attention:  “Often we are tempted not through our weaknesses but through our strengths.  The devil tempted Jesus where He was strong.”  We usually think of temptations coming at us when we are weak, but it’s actually the temptation itself that makes us weak.  When we’re weak, Satan leaves us alone.  It is when we are strong in the Lord that Satan will attack us to bring us down.  In these verses Jesus may have been physically weak from not eating, but He was strong in the Spirit. 

“Tell this stone to become bread.”  The devil probably thought he could trap Jesus into performing a miracle to satisfy His hunger.  We don’t know what may have gone on in the mind of Jesus, but we do know that He did not give in to this temptation.  The devil knew that if he could get Jesus to fulfill His own immediate needs, that it would take Him away from the long-term plan of redemption.

The response.  So how did Jesus respond?  With Scripture!  “It is written…  Man shall not live by bread alone.”  In other words, food for the stomach is not the most important thing in the world.  Obeying God is more important than physical needs.  Would your response have been something like, go away, don’t bother me! or would you have even answered Satan at all?  Jesus calmly stated “It is written…” followed by what He knew from the Holy Scriptures, “Man shall not live by bread alone.”   He knew that physical food was not what mattered at that moment.  There was more involved in Satan’s temptation than just filling His stomach.  Satan was trying to derail Him from the task God had assigned Him.

Short and firm.  I love how Jesus did not engage in a debate, reasons, or conversation about Satan’s statement of temptation.  Jesus didn’t tell Satan it couldn’t be done and give him all the reasons why.  He didn’t tell him to get lost nor tell him what He thought about it.  Jesus was short and firm.  “It is written…  Man shall not live by bread alone.”  It is so important to know what the Scripture says about various things so when a questionable temptation presents itself, we don’t have to in the heat of the moment decide what we should do.  We will have a response ready.  Jesus short and firm response was all it took to send Satan away for the moment.  Satan does not want to hear any words from the Bible. 

Takeaway.  Never go against Satan in your own strength.  Know what the Bible says and refute him with Scripture. 

PRAYER POINT FOR TODAY:
Lord, when the tempter comes prowling, keep me on alert so I don’t give in to him. Keep me strong in You.

  • Week 1– temptation
  • Week 2 – confession, forgiveness, and fasting
  • Week 3 – listening to God and answering when He calls
  • Week 4 – God’s love for us
  • Week 5 – waiting, anxiety, and trust
  • Week 6 – suffering, pain, and struggles
  • Easter – resurrection and salvation

25 Week 1, Day 4 of Lent

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On February 25, 2023

In Easter/Lent, Temptation

Post Views: 27

Again today in Luke 4:1-13 we find another contributing factor preceding Jesus’ temptations in the wilderness.  First we saw that Jesus had just been baptized and had experienced a highly emotional and spiritual experience.  Then we saw that He was alone.  Today we are looking at the fact that he had not eaten for 40 days.

Hunger.  My Black Lab was very possessive of his food and especially his bones and treats.  If I were to caption this picture, it would be I dare you to try and take this from me

When those hunger pangs come—and they come at all times of the day and sometimes night—what do you do?  If you’re at home, you might head to the kitchen for something to quiet the rumbling.  At work if you’re able, you might reach in the desk drawer for a snack or head to a vending machine.  If you’re out running errands, your favorite fast food place might call your name.  Rarely do we ignore our stomachs when they alert us that they need food.

Physical.  Hunger like other things affects us in many ways.  Some of us need food fairly quickly or we get a headache, upset stomach, or even pass out.  Fasting for 12 hours for a blood test is about my max.  I can’t imagine how Jesus could go for 40 DAYS without eating.  He had to have been dragging by the end of the fast.  However, in John’s Gospel after Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well, we see a glimpse into how He was nourished:

But Jesus replied, “I have a kind of food you know nothing about.”
“Did someone bring him food while we were gone?”
the disciples asked each other. Then Jesus explained:
“My nourishment comes from doing the will of God,
who sent me, and from finishing his work.”
John 4:32-34

Emotional.  When I don’t eat right or enough or regularly, it affects my emotions.  I don’t think clearly and have on occasion turned into a bear because I needed food.  That has only happened a couple of times because now I’m aware of it and don’t allow myself to reach that point.  Jesus had a lot on His mind.  He knew what the Father’s plan was for Him and He needed to focus on that.

Reactional.  When my stomach growls and interruptions detain me from getting food, I have to take deep breaths and restrain myself from allowing human nature to take over and be unkind or unloving or impatient.  Have you been there???  It would be easy for us to be tempted to assert our desire for food and place it before all other demands, but is that the reaction Jesus had?  No.  Jesus had a human body just like ours.  I’m sure His stomach growled and it affected His physical body and emotions, but He allowed the Spirit to control Him and never lashed out at someone due to hunger or lack of sleep.

Temptation is just like hunger pangs.  It presents itself in all kinds of ways to get our attention.  It wants to be heard, seen, and satisfied.  Stay alert to the signs of temptation around the corner.  Don’t allow hunger or lack of sleep suck you in.  Don’t give in.  Give it up to Jesus.  Ask Him for strength to withstand and move onward and upward, trusting Him for victory.

Next we’ll look at each of the three temptations Satan threw at Jesus and how He responded.

PRAYER POINT FOR TODAY:
Lord, when those hunger pangs of temptation strike, help me be strong and resist those impulses to give in. Give me strength and desire to stand up against temptation.

  • Week 1 – temptation
  • Week 2 – confession, forgiveness, and fasting
  • Week 3 – listening to God and answering when He calls
  • Week 4 – God’s love for us
  • Week 5 – waiting, anxiety, and trust
  • Week 6 – suffering, pain, and struggles
  • Easter – resurrection and salvation

24 Week 1, Day 3 of Lent

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On February 24, 2023

In Easter/Lent, Temptation

Post Views: 27

Continuing today in Luke 4:1-13 we find another contributing factor preceding Jesus’ temptations in the wilderness.  First we saw that Jesus had just been baptized and had experienced a highly emotional and spiritual experience.  Next we see that He was alone.  Nowhere does it say that any human went with Jesus into the wilderness nor that He came across anyone while He was there.

Alone.  Jesus was totally alone in the wilderness other than the Holy Spirit’s presence and Satan’s.  I don’t know about you, but I would not want to be alone in the wilderness nor in a woods nor anywhere else.  I don’t mind being alone in my home but when I’m out and about, I prefer to have the company of other people.  When I’m alone and suddenly I hear someone talking near me, it startles me.  Satan may have been preying on the fact that Jesus was alone which would really get Jesus’ attention when someone spoke to Him. 

Companionship.  Having a friend with us is very desirable at times.  It makes the journey more enjoyable.  Jesus did not have any human companions with Him during His time in the wilderness.  He had not yet called His disciples nor did He have any followers.  Sometimes not having a companion frees us up to change plans, move in a different direction or at a different pace, or just stop and rest without considering the person with us.  For Jesus that meant He could block out everything else and listen only to the Holy Spirit.

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 NIV

Conversation.  I can’t imagine what it was like for Jesus to have no one to talk to except God for 40 days.  I have enough trouble getting through one day with no one to talk to except my cat!  I’m sure there was an ongoing interaction between Jesus and the Holy Spirit since He was the one who led Jesus into the wilderness.  Was it an audible conversation?  It could have been, but since no one was with Jesus, there’s no way to know for sure.  Not all of my conversations are audible either.  Some are only in my mind, some are on paper, and some are in text, email, or other electronic communications.

Be alert.  Do things seem more tempting and alluring at night?  When you’re alone?  When you’re feeling letdown after a spiritual or emotional high?  That’s when we have to be on guard more than other times.  When we have that companion and conversation, it can help keep us on track, but look out when we’re alone and there’s no one looking or listening.  That’s when Satan tries to trip us up and tell us no one will know.

There’s still another thing that factored into Jesus’ temptations which we’ll look at tomorrow.  After that we’ll look at each of the three temptations Satan threw at Jesus and how He responded.

PRAYER POINT FOR TODAY:
Lord, guard my heart and mind, especially when I’m alone, that I will not allow temptation to get hold and pull me down. Keep me strong in the Spirit.

  • Week 1 – temptation
  • Week 2 – confession, forgiveness, and fasting
  • Week 3 – listening to God and answering when He calls
  • Week 4 – God’s love for us
  • Week 5 – waiting, anxiety, and trust
  • Week 6 – suffering, pain, and struggles
  • Easter – resurrection and salvation

23 Week 1, Day 2 of Lent

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On February 23, 2023

In Easter/Lent, Temptation

Post Views: 33

Temptation.   Luke 4:1-13 is a familiar passage that shows us how Jesus was tested (or tempted) in the wilderness.  You might like to watch this 2-minute video of the story before you read on.

Cause or Prior Happenings.  When a storm comes, a fire breaks out, a fight begins, an argument happens between friends, or some other event takes place, there’s usually something that happened before the event that precipitated or even caused the results of the event itself.  Turn back a page or chapter before Luke 4 to see what was happening, and you’ll see that Jesus had just been baptized publicly.

Timing.  Satan knows just when to come after us.  You might be away at a retreat enjoying great fellowship with other Christians and then you come home to bad news.  You got a promotion, are excited, and can’t wait to get home and tell your spouse but you get tied up in traffic from an accident that spoils your day and makes you irritable.

Distractions.  Jesus was just beginning His public ministry and Satan knew it so He tried to distract Him and entice Him away with things that he thought would surely make Jesus at least think about giving in.  Jesus was most likely thinking about the plan the Father had for Him to carry out.   

Preparation.  Have you used the expression, if I would have known…?  If you’re like me, you like to be prepared, but there’s always the unexpected things that happen.  Some things we can’t be prepared for as much as we’d like to, but we can always be prepared with prayer and our response to the if’s of life.  If “this” happens, then “this” will be my response.  Jesus was prepared just like we talked about the preparation of prayer a day or so ago.  

Expect it.  Jesus had to have known He would be tempted.  After all, the first man and woman God created was tempted.  Adam and Eve weren’t prepared to face temptation nor did they even know what temptation was in the perfect world they came into, but Jesus was.  He had the mind of His Father and knew the Scriptures.  So when Satan came along with his attempts to trap Jesus, Jesus was ready with His prepared response based on the Scriptures and what He knew His Father would want Him to do.

Response.  Are you ready with a response to people and things that happen?  Many people prepare for natural disasters by stockpiling food and water, and in times past some people had fallout shelters in case of war.  But what about the temptations that come our way daily?  Are you ready to resist them?  Do you know how to resist them?  We can’t wait until the moment arrives and then think we’ll be ready to take on whatever comes at us.  Even those trained in self-defense have to think about what move they will make according to how their assailant approaches.  Our assailant is the worst enemy we could ever want to face, and we have to be mindful of his tactics and be ready to fight him off and nip it in the bud!  That’s exactly what Jesus did, and He’s our perfect example of how to fend off temptation.  He responded to Satan with words from Scripture, “It is written…”  What’s your ready response to temptation?

There’s another thing that factored into Jesus’ temptations which we’ll look at tomorrow.  After that we’ll look at some of the temptations Satan threw at Jesus and how He responded.

PRAYER POINT FOR TODAY:
Lord, make me aware of the things that sneak in and tempt me before I even realize it, and help me be prepared with a response when temptation does knock at my door.

  • Week 1 – temptation
  • Week 2 – confession, forgiveness, and fasting
  • Week 3 – listening to God and answering when He calls
  • Week 4 – God’s love for us
  • Week 5 – waiting, anxiety, and trust
  • Week 6 – suffering, pain, and struggles
  • Easter – resurrection and salvation

22 Week 1, Day 1 of Lent

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On February 22, 2023

In Easter/Lent, Temptation

Post Views: 29

Temptation.  What tempts you?  Is it the candy in the dish that’s just within your reach?  Is it the games on your phone or computer?  Then there’s a “temptation” to go outside when you really need to be working inside.  Some temptations are not bad such as having a piece of candy, but if you eat too much candy, it could be bad for your health.  I have to limit myself with a lot of things whether it’s reaching for another piece of chocolate or playing just one more game of Spider Solitaire.  Watch for signs that the temptation may be too strong for you or is distracting you.

I play Spider Solitaire almost every evening to unwind.  It’s fun and makes me think about using my moves to the best advantage.  But one particular night I wasn’t winning at all and I kept playing another game and another game and another game, hoping to win just one before I quit.  The next day I found my brain playing the game as if it was a movie playing in the forefront of my mind, and I was very distracted (unfortunately at a time I should have been concentrating on worship!).  Wow!  Now I limit myself to maybe 3 or 4 games, especially since each one takes 3-5 minutes…all wasted time in light of eternity.

Some temptations can be extremely detrimental if they pull us away from the right path of life and get us into trouble.  You know what I’m talking about.  You have friends or relatives who watched too many YouTube videos and visited too many websites that show things that should never be in print and definitely not on video with access for anyone to see.  Once they view these things, it’s difficult to stop.

Identify it.  So what is a temptation that you face?  Do you think you are the only one facing it?  Humanly speaking probably not!  The Bible tells us that Jesus experienced it all long before we even knew what temptation was.

Common temptations might be things like eating too much, spending too much, gambling you’re your hard-earned money, laziness, venting on social media, gossiping, feeling jealous, viewing pornography, lying or cheating, taking out your anger on someone or something, stealing, and abusing alcohol.  Did I hit on yours yet?  These are just some examples of types of temptations, and each one brings with it guilt.  We know we shouldn’t be doing it, but do it anyway.  So what might you be doing that you know you shouldn’t…and it makes you feel guilty?

Results.  As we begin this season of Lent, think about your temptation.  What have been the results of some temptation you gave into?  Just another piece.  Gained weight?  I’m in a hurry and no one’s on the road.  Got caught speeding? 

Tomorrow we’ll look at the events leading up to Jesus’ temptations.

PRAYER POINT FOR TODAY:
Lord, show me the things you want me to see in my life that are pulling me towards temptation and sin.

  • Week 1 – temptation
  • Week 2 – confession, forgiveness, and fasting
  • Week 3 – listening to God and answering when He calls
  • Week 4 – God’s love for us
  • Week 5 – waiting, anxiety, and trust
  • Week 6 – suffering, pain, and struggles
  • Easter – resurrection and salvation

21 Preparation Prayer

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On February 21, 2023

In Easter/Lent, Prayer

Post Views: 48

Vacation time will be here before we know it.  Some may even now be making plans, reservations, and working out logistics.  That’s all part of preparation.  Then there’s the last-minute preparation of packing the luggage and the car.  It all takes planning, especially if you’re limited as to how many pieces of luggage you have room for or are allowed enroute or at your destination.  So you make lists, cross off unnecessary items, pack, repack, finally check everything off as completed, and you’re on your way.  Bon voyage!

Oh, I didn’t include prayer in that preparation, did I?  Is that a “given” for you?  Are we sometimes like kids who need to be reminded to say their prayers before they eat or before they go to bed?  Or are you in a perpetual state of praying without ceasing like Paul instructs to do?

So often I find myself wanting to pray specifically for someone but don’t know how to pray for them.  The Bible gives us words, ideas, and concepts of what we can pray for others, especially when we don’t know the situation but feel the need to pray for them.  As I read through Paul’s epistles, he mentions a lot of things that he prayed for the churches he ministered to which we can use in our prayers as well. 

There are also many lists published by various organizations.  One by CRU (originally Campus Crusade for Christ) lists 19 specific prayer ideas, what the Bible says about each one, why it matters, and a sample prayer.  Wycliffe has a list of ways to specifically pray for missionaries as do other organizations.

I need to prepare myself for prayer at times and other times I just jump right in.  Preparing for prayer may mean moving to another room in your home where it is quiet with no distractions.  It may mean having a list in front of you to keep you focused and to remind you of specific requests you don’t want to forget.  I love to take prayer walks outside when it’s nice.  I pray for the people in the homes I pass even if I don’t know their names.  When there’s something weighing on me, I use a prayer walk to pray about that matter.

When the Lord stops me and puts someone on my mind, I often pick up my phone and send a quick text to let them know I’m praying for them.  I am amazed at how many times I get a response such as I needed that today, or I find out that there is something specific going on in that person’s life and they then shared it with me.  On occasion I have spent hours praying for and responding to such texts, but these are not annoying interruptions—they are God appointments.

The place and position for prayer is not as important as the act of connecting with your Heavenly Father.  I rarely physically get on my knees, though occasionally I do, and it’s a very good position for prayer—if it works for your body.  I pray better while sitting or walking.  I’ve adopted one particular chair in my small den as my place to pray in the morning using my list, but I find myself praying throughout the day as I cook, do dishes, clean, or just sit and look out the window.  At different points in my life I have spent a lot of time praying on my porch swing, staring up into the sky, watching the clouds go by, and those were special because they were the times I felt closest to God.

So as we prepare for the season leading up to Easter, let us prepare our hearts by feasting on God’s Word (instead of candy), praying for ourselves and others (instead of gossiping), and remembering what Jesus has done for us (instead of complaining about what we don’t have). Each week during Lent (starting on Wednesdays), I’ll be focusing on a different theme.  I hope you will keep coming back and growing in your faith even as I grow while I am writing and sharing.  We will get back to talking about peace after Easter, so think about how these topics connect to peace…Preparation Prayer for Perfect Peace!

  • Week 1 – temptation
  • Week 2 – confession, forgiveness, and fasting
  • Week 3 – listening to God and answering when He calls
  • Week 4 – God’s love for us
  • Week 5 – waiting, anxiety, and trust
  • Week 6 – suffering, pain, and struggles
  • Easter – resurrection and salvation

20 Pondering Lent

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On February 20, 2023

In Easter/Lent

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I grew up in an evangelical Christian church that observed Lent every year.  So when I was recently challenged by a conversation about Lent not being “Christian”, it caused me to do some reading and pondering about the validity of some of the reasons people give for not wanting to observe or celebrate Lent.

“Lent isn’t in the Bible!”  That was the first reason that I heard.  But as I said in my last post neither are the words Christmas nor Advent nor Easter.  However, that doesn’t make those special days wrong.  No, the word Lent is not in the Bible, but the concept of Lent is which I’ll get into shortly.

“Lent is a Catholic tradition.”  So?  If there’s a spiritual value of Lent that Christians can benefit from, why not observe it?  We don’t have to observe it in the same way as our Catholic friends.  Take what’s of value and leave the rest.  When I get a salad at a restaurant, there are certain food items that I push aside or remove from my salad because I personally do not like them, but that doesn’t make the salad bad or wrong for someone else who likes those items.  I just choose to not eat that part of the salad.  Some people may assume that if “Catholics celebrate Lent. So I won’t talk about Lent because it must be a Catholic thing.”  This could be a very good opportunity to talk about the truths in Scripture.  Catholics celebrate Christmas and Easter and so do we.  What makes Advent and Lent different?  Why do we isolate Advent and Lent but not Christmas and Easter?  Isn’t that a bit inconsistent?

Lent is a period of spiritual renewal that is observed by Christians around the world as a way to prepare their hearts for Easter which celebrates Jesus’ resurrection.  Christians do celebrate Easter, correct?  So why not Lent?

Lent has many facets and topics that can be very beneficial. A few big ones that are often emphasized during that season are prayer, fasting, and generosity.  These are all Biblical as they are taught and encouraged in the Bible.  The 40-day time frame also referenced in Lent is also of great Biblical significance and some churches use that time to emphasize these topics and others that can enrich the Christian life.  There 40 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter, excluding Sundays which are already days of celebratory worship.  In Matthew 4:1-11 we find one of the references to 40 days in the story of Jesus in the wilderness and the temptations He faced.  Our world looks a lot different than in Jesus’ time, but we all face temptations, don’t we?  So the 40 days or season of Lent is a good time to focus on dealing with temptations.  More about this in a coming post.

The days we spend anticipating Easter are valuable days that can be spent learning and growing.  Sure, we can do that any time, but most of us need a reason or a little push to make the time to really concentrate and meditate on a certain topic or aspect of our faith.  I know people who never use a prepared devotional because they would rather get their thoughts straight from the Word of God, and that’s great if it works for them.  Then there are others (like myself) who need a little more guidance and dated structure to keep focused and disciplined as we are nudged to consider a specific thought in the devotional and meditate on what the Bible has to say about it.

One year I found a book in my church’s library about the cross.  It was a 40-day journey through various Scriptures surrounding the cross, thinking about things like its texture (the fact that it was splintery, rough, and heavy), the person who carried the cross for Jesus (blood from Jesus now dripping onto him), and so much more, of course ending with Jesus’ death on that cross.  Some of the things mentioned in this book were aspects I had never thought about before.  It was a real learning experience and gave me more to think about as I meditated on these new concepts that I had never thought about before.  Had I not decided to do something special during Lent, I would have missed the blessings of this study time.

There are a lot of good devotionals out there online and in book stores that can take you on a very special journey during the season of Lent, helping you to focus on Jesus and what He has done for us.  The mindset we have if we observe Lent should be one of growing closer to God.  Lent is NOT just about what you give up because that really has no value in your spiritual life (especially if you only give it up for Lent and then pick it up again after Easter!), nor even what you will do.  Throughout Lent I will be posting some things you could use to focus your thoughts on Jesus during this special time of preparation leading up to His death and resurrection.  I hope they will be a blessing to you.  If you don’t “subscribe” to Lent per se, think of it as a special 40-day time of reflection and meditation and see what the Lord has for you during this special season of the year.

19 Lent Intro

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On February 17, 2023

In Christmas/Advent, Easter/Lent

Post Views: 38

Lent is right around the corner so I want to begin talking about it now since people have different opinions of it…

Is the place you live in considered a town or a city, a burg or a hamlet?  Is it urban or rural?  Do you tell people to go “down” or “up” your street or do you give north/south/east/west directions?  Do you live in a duplex or a half-double house?  A rancher or a single home?  Does what you call it or how you give directions change the place you live?

We too often get hung up on terminology and if someone doesn’t call things by the same label we use, we get bent out of shape like Gumby.  Albeit sometimes a correct name/label is necessary for identification purposes but it doesn’t change the content. Guilt by association is something that’s important in a crime situation and affects who you hang out with.  But in other things in life, we should take a closer look and see if associating things only with a certain person or group or celebration is always correct.  In Romans 14 Paul talks about the issue of eating or not eating certain foods which I feel is applicable to the topic of Lent.

“For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink,
but of living a life of goodness and peace
and joy in the Holy Spirit.”
Romans 14:17, NLT

For years I steered away from anything Santa Claus for various reasons.  I know, this post is supposed to be about Lent, but hear me out.  I still don’t buy into that whole aspect of Christmas but to keep peace in my extended family when my kids were little,  I had to back off.  However, I made sure they knew the true meaning of Christmas and that Santa was just a fictional fun part of Christmas.  I go along with it if parents of children I know say their kids still “believe” but I don’t encourage it.  That’s their decision.

So it’s called Christmas and we celebrate it on December 25, but is the name and the date in the Bible anywhere?  While we’re on Christmas, what about Advent?  I’m sure it has different meaning to different faiths and is celebrated in different ways.  If you celebrate in a different way for different reasons than me, would you be ok with me celebrating differently?  Does it matter if you hang decorations and I light candles? Are you going to stop celebrating the birth of our Lord just because another person or church believes or celebrates Christmas differently?  It’s WHAT we are celebrating and WHY that is important.

Advent means the arrival of a notable person, thing, or event.  Why not celebrate Advent when it means Jesus is coming?  I like to celebrate all month, not just Christmas Eve and Day.  It’s a time of preparation leading up to the birth of our Lord.  If you don’t like the term Advent, then come up with a new title, but do celebrate the coming of our Lord without criticizing those who want to celebrate it under the label of Advent.

So the title of this post was Lent and you’re probably wondering why I’m talking about Christmas and Advent.  Well Jesus had to be born before He could die!  I needed to get your attention and to lay the groundwork to see some things in a different light before we move on to Lent.  In the next post I’ll start talking about Lent … Don’t go away.  It might shed some light on why some born again believers look forward to Lent and ways in which it’s OK to observe the season of Lent and use it to honor the Lord.

18 Celebrate

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On February 14, 2023

In Love

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Love is celebrated in various ways at different stages.  I’m not a counselor or anything like that, but from experience of myself and people I know, here are a few thoughts on the stages of love to participate in, observe, and celebrate over time.

Puppy love—No, not the puppy kind in this picture. 😊  The so-cute puppy love of a child who has just discovered the opposite sex and doesn’t want to be separated from them.  This is usually short-lived but there are occasions when it lasts a lifetime.  It’s adorable to watch their interactions.

Friendship—Friendship is a great time to spend time with friends in the company of others so that there’s an accountability factor in the relationships.  Have fun!  Enjoy being with others in a safe environment.  Take your time observing how others interact and respond.  After all, who wants to be friends with someone who is unkind or worse yet abusive?!  Here’s where you can isolate the one(s) who would not be a wise choice or a compatible one.

Dating—A young lady and young man meet, probably in the friendship stage, and decide they want to get to know each other so they go places and do activities together.  There’s no time limit on dating.  It could be short or could last for years.  It depends on the couple.  If something makes them feel uncomfortable or not sure about the relationship, this is a good time to find out and make a choice to stay together or break it off.

Engagement—A man and lady have spent considerable time in the dating stage and decided they’re right for each other and ready to take it up a notch.  A man asks the lady to marry him, she says yes, and the ring goes on her finger.  It’s still a time of getting to know each other even deeper as they discuss what their future together will look like, their goals, and their dreams.  It’s not too late at this point to break it off if a red flag starts popping up, but if you’ve spent enough time in the dating stage, you may have already discussed deeper things and are ready to make a move.

Marriage—Ah yes, wedded bliss, right?  It’s God’s plan but sometimes man messes it up.  Make your husband or wife a priority with your time and attention.  Focus on him or her and don’t allow distractions to entice you away.  Build on the good things and discard the things that tend to divide you.

Widowed or Divorced—Unfortunately things don’t always go as planned and you may find yourself alone again, but know that God loves you and there is still love out there for you to experience.  Don’t be afraid to step out when the right person or opportunity presents itself.

VALENTINE’S DAY is the perfect time to celebrate your love and especially God’s love with another person whether it’s a friend, spouse, child, or other family member.  It doesn’t matter which stage of love you are in right now.  CELEBRATE!

17 Show me…

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On February 13, 2023

In Love

Post Views: 32

Here in the United States, we have one state in particular that has acquired the unofficial slogan that they are the Show me state.  While I don’t live in that state, it is also unofficially my slogan as well.  You can tell me anything you want, but be ready to back it up with actions.  I’m also the kind of person who learns better if you show me how to do something rather than tell me.  But once you show me, then let me run with it.  Micro managers who stand over your shoulder are not my favorite people.

If I asked you to show me what love is like, what comes to your mind?  Talk is cheap and sometimes things are, too.  The actions must match the words.  Teasing my boyfriend one day I told him that my love language is T&T and he thought I said TNT!  We had a laugh about that. 😊 T&T for me stands for talk and touch.  TALK to me about your day, how you feel, what your plans are, and anything else—just don’t clam up and shut me out.  TOUCH me on the arm or put your arm around my shoulder; I need to feel the closeness of someone who cares.

The “love chapter” of the Bible gives us many more ways of showing our love.  Were you patient with the cashier who was slow yesterday?  Are you kind to people who are not kind to you?  Be glad for others’ accomplishments and thankful for those who help you when you need it.  Take a deep breath and exhale the anger and frustration that is just under the surface.  Throw away the mental tablet where you’ve been keeping a list of all the things that someone has done against you.  Be glad when truth reigns.  Protect those who have no one to protect them.  Trust God and those whom He has put in your life who are worthy of your trust.  Base your hope on the promised eternal life God offers.  Don’t give up!

Greater love has no one than this:
to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
John 15:13

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