Saturday, December 19, 2009

Making a list and checking it twice

Today’s Reading: Luke 1:49 NIV

49 For the Mighty One has done great things for me – holy is His name.

Good morning!

I’ve been making a list and checking it twice but it is not the list I presume you are thinking of. Year end is a time to close out the old and ring in the new. We assess and review our lives and whether we’ve reached the goals we set out to achieve twelve months ago. Many Americans make New Years resolutions: to break some old, bad habit and strive for greater achievement in the upcoming year. We take stock of the events that had life-altering consequences for our families, and we find overwhelming joy in affirming our blessings. My personal list looks very different from years past, and I confess that I am more than ready to set this year behind me and embrace a brand new season with hope. Adversity will either leave a bitter taste in your mouth, or it can bring you great joy. How you embrace the life you’ve been given is a choice that only you can make.

Mary certainly had some adversity going on in her young life! She had just become engaged to a wonderful man. What an exciting and hopeful time! Just when things seemed to be coming together as she had planned, Mary had a very unusual visitation; an angel proclaiming that God had chosen her to carry and bear His only Son, the long-awaited Messiah. When Mary realized she was part of a far greater plan than her own, she immediately embraced this daunting task, unwavering in faith and bright hope for a new tomorrow. I cannot imagine how absolutely confused and terrified I would have been, if God had sent an angel with a message like that to me. I would have asked the Father for five minutes, to create a quick Excel spreadsheet on my I-Phone, outlining the pros and cons of His master plan in colorful bar graphs before I gave Him my final answer. I have a nasty little habit of trying over analyze everything. Let’s take a closer look at Mary’s situation: Being pregnant outside of marriage would potentially end her engagement to Joseph. He would no longer trust her; how would she convince Joe that she had not been unfaithful? Her parents would reject her, casting her out from the only family she knew and loved. Mary faced probable death as the standard punishment for her unplanned pregnancy, especially if Joseph chose to publicly condemn her. Mary had every reason to be scared; yet, she trusted the Father enough to know whatever her circumstance, He would be there to see her through it. She was more than willing; in fact, Mary praised the Lord for the great things He has done!

Mary’s song of praise, also known as the Magnificat, has been sung in our churches for many years. Her words have inspired great hymns and choral works, heard every year, especially at Christmas. Mary made an instantaneous decision to glorify God for His great work, and praised Him for what He would do in and through her humble heart. She embraced His will with such passion, that it makes me feel so ashamed every time God calls me and I hesitate. Mary seemed to care very little about any potential judgment or personal suffering she might endure. Her only desire was to please the Father and walk in obedience to His will for her life. Her happiness and joy is more than apparent in her words, “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for He has been mindful of the humble state of His servant.” Luke 1:46-48a NIV.

This is a great weekend to praise God for all He has and continues to do in your life! Have you made your list and checked it twice? Do not miss a great opportunity to personally thank Him today. There is a celebration happening right now – folks are preparing to welcome a brand new day. Won’t you take some time this weekend to come and worship the Savior with me? Come and hear the sweet music ringing around the world, as we marvel at Mary’s unwavering devotion to the Father, and the miracle child, who is coming very, very soon. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding

Faith UMC - St. Charles, MO

www.songofdeborah.com

___________________________

© Copyright 2009, Deb Spaulding

All rights reserved

Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles.

Friday, December 18, 2009

Facing fear with faith

Today’s Reading: Luke 1:37 NIV

37 For nothing is impossible with God.

Good morning!

Are you ever been surprised by a life-altering curve ball? Sometimes it is hard to see beyond a particular circumstance or situation, especially when it wasn’t part of your master plan. If I could somehow simplify the journey, I would much prefer to lay it all out in front of me as a visual aid, keeping the road map handy to know where I am headed before I arrive. Are you like me? Would you prefer not to be hit by the curve balls of life?

No matter how difficult our circumstance, I am convinced there is no one who had a more surprising curve ball thrown at her than Mary, when the angel Gabriel visited her in Nazareth. Mary’s parents were poor; yet raised her well. As a young teen, Mary was admired by Joseph, a successful carpenter in town. Everyone knew Joseph – he was a man of great integrity, and a very hard worker. When Joseph asked for Mary’s hand in marriage, it seemed that she would never have to worry about having a roof over her head or food to eat. Joseph would make a fine husband and father for her children. Mary had a true sense of direction. She felt safe and loved. Her life was finally coming together, just as she had planned.

Can you imagine how Mary must have felt when the angel appeared to her that day, proclaiming that she had been chosen to bear the Messiah? Surprised and frightened, Mary could have responded by questioning or even refusing God’s plan for her life over her own. The most amazing part of this story for me is how Mary doesn’t even hesitate in answering God’s call. “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.” (Luke 1:38a)

Mary had some sense of what she would endure in telling Joseph she was pregnant. She knew she would face certain penalties imposed by the law for an unmarried woman with child. Despite her fear of the unknown, Mary faced certain public condemnation and death with great courage. She trusted God enough even though she could not see what the future would hold. Her faith is the kind of faith I would like to receive this Christmas.

Maybe your life has not worked out quite the way you had hoped it would. An unplanned event not previously scheduled on your life's calendar has thrown you for a loop, and you find yourself wondering what to do. The answer may be as simple as this: “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said.” Let go of your own imperfect plan, and embrace all that the Father has for you today. We can learn a lot from Mary; she faced her fear with faith.

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding

Faith UMC - St. Charles, MO

www.songofdeborah.com

___________________________

© Copyright 2009, Deb Spaulding

All rights reserved

Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles.

Monday, December 14, 2009

The first census

Today’s Reading: Luke 2:1-3 NIV

1 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to his own town to register.

Good morning!

Last night at Faith Church, we experienced what a census taking might have been like in the town of Bethlehem. The entire church was transformed into a marketplace where folks came to register their families, as required by the law. People were walking along a narrow path shoulder to shoulder! There was so much to see and do! I traveled in a family of fifteen and was quite taken with the children in our group. I find I learn best through the eyes of a child, and I was not disappointed in this journey.

Families crowded together to register, surrounded by scary looking Roman guard. Every child received a bag of coins to spend at the various shops along the way. In the carpenter’s shop, the children enjoyed hammering nails into pieces of wood, and fashioning miniature sail boats, just like the boats the fisherman used to catch fish on the Sea of Galilee. In the leather shop, the children were able to touch and smell different types of soft leather. While listening to the stories of the leather makers, they made leather bracelets to wear throughout the evening. There was a candy shop, where the children got to make and taste baklava, a sweet treat! In the bakery, the women explained the bread baking process and samples of fresh bread was served to all, even the beggars that hung around outside its doors, begging for something to eat.

At each stop, we heard rumors of a Savior being born that night somewhere in Bethlehem. As we traveled from place to place, our family continued to search together for the miracle that everyone kept talking about. The shop owners told of angels and shepherds and a star that would lead us to the infant king, if we would simply follow it. Children of all ages enjoyed the hands-on scavenger hunt, putting the clues together piece by piece, as we walked through the marketplace with our family.

As we traveled together, I began to notice some very sleepy faces. Where could our family find a quiet place to rest, an escape from the hustle and bustle of the large crowds in the marketplace? The shepherds led us to a dark stable just outside of town, where the children met Joseph, Mary, and a beautiful newborn baby named Jesus face to face. We heard the amazing story of the baby’s birth told by the pastors. Then, we were invited to have our family picture made with the Holy Family. The children were fascinated to see the newborn baby, who wiggled and cooed in his mother’s arms. Children of all ages simply did not want to leave. We just wanted to stay near the Savior and look at Him. I saw one of the little girls from our family standing near the manger, waving to the baby and saying, “I love you, Jesus!” I know exactly how she feels.

There is no greater gift than the gift of our Savior. The presence of Christ in our lives is the best present you or I will ever receive. May you find yourself journeying to Bethlehem to meet the Christ child this Advent season. When the census is taken, will your family be registered?

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding

Faith UMC - St. Charles, MO

www.songofdeborah.com

___________________________

© Copyright 2009, Deb Spaulding

All rights reserved

Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles.

Sunday, December 13, 2009

The pillow

Today’s Reading: I Corinthians 1:3-4 NIV

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.

Good morning!

When our son David was born prematurely, the volunteers at St. John’s Mercy Medical Center gave us a small pillow with his birth information as a token gift. He was too tiny to care much about it then; yet, that pillow became quite a comfort to him later on in life. As David grew, he proudly carried his birth pillow everywhere he went! We had to arm wrestled that child to give the pillow up just long enough so Mommy could wash it. He would stand by the dryer with crocodile tears running down his face, waiting impatiently for the dry buzzer to sound. One of my favorite photographs of David was when he proudly graduated from preschool. He stood underneath the big oak tree in front of our church parsonage in his yellow cap and gown, grinning from ear to ear, hugging the stuffing out of his pillow. When he began elementary school, David’s pillow remained hidden in the bottom of his backpack, just underneath his feet at the foot of the desk.

A small, fluffy pillow can make a big difference to a hurting child. I’ve been pondering what kind of comfort the baby Jesus experienced in the manger the very first winter of his earthly life. When his mother Mary was not nursing him, or holding the babe in her arms, I wondered whether she fashioned a small pillow from the hay and swaddling clothes, to keep the infant Savior comforted throughout those long winter nights. Tonight when I attend A Night in Bethlehem at Faith United Methodist Church in St. Charles, Missouri, I will get to relive what it may have been like the night God sent His only Son to save us. When the shepherds came and wise men gave their treasures to the newborn babe, I knew what gift I would give to the baby in the manger.

Our five-year-old granddaughter, Emily, recently spent eight days in the hospital, following surgery to correct a very similar birth defect that our son David was born with. A group of volunteers at Children’s Hospital gave gifts of handmade hope and love for each of its wee patients. When Emily was admitted, she was given the cutest little handmade pillow to hold after she woke up from surgery. Whenever she would cough, Emily held that pillow against her belly to comfort her through the pain. As a grandmother, I relived many of the memories I had with my own son, watching and waiting as our Emily recovered.

When I arrived in Arnold early Saturday morning, Emily was sleeping peacefully in her bedroom upstairs. When she spotted me sitting on the sofa along with her brothers, Emily became very excited. “Nanny,” she said, “I have a surprise present for you! Close your eyes and stay right there.” She returned shortly with a small gift in her hands. “I want to give this to you, Nanny,” she said. In her hands was the tiny pillow from the hospital. “This is for your sore shoulder; it will make you feel better too.” Emily was quite right, as I took the pillow and pressed it tightly between my neck and shoulder. What great comfort I received from my own grandchild that day!

How such a small, tangible gift can bring comfort to a hurting world is hard to imagine. It is the Savior’s love, flowing down from our Heavenly Father above. What gift will you bring to the manger? I’m giving Jesus my heart, for it is all I have to give. And I think I’ll take a small heart-shaped pillow along, to comfort the baby in the manger.

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding

Faith UMC - St. Charles, MO

www.songofdeborah.com

___________________________

© Copyright 2009, Deb Spaulding

All rights reserved

Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles.