Light of the World

 

And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.  God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. ~Genesis 1:3-4

I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen; not only because I see it, but by it I see everything else. ~C. S. Lewis

Do you choose a word for the year, or does the word choose you?  I'm an avid believer in the latter.  My first whisper of inspiration comes from this exchange between long-time friend and fellow blogger, Jean Wise, and myself in the comment section of my post Shine the Light.

Jean:  I have been pondering the light this Christmas season.  Light/dark.  God's light even in dark.  Christ's light in our hearts.  Lighting our way.

Me:  That's such a beautiful gem to be focused on in this season of light, Jean.  When I read your words here, I got the first inkling of God's nudge toward my word for 2026 - could it be "light"?  Wow, my friend, I can't thank you enough!  Earlier today when I was wondering how the Lord would let me know what He wants me to choose for my word, I felt a sudden overwhelm of peace as if He was whispering that all will be revealed soon.  Wow, wow and wow!  I could never imagine that the "light" would shine so soon.

Still, this one conversation isn't enough to convince me that "Light" is my word for 2026.  I give it grace (last year's word) to dwell in my heart and mind as a potential candidate for such a prestigious role.  I'm allowing time and space to either confirm this choice point me in another direction.

The start of the new year finds me reading the Bible from beginning to end once more, and embracing a new (to me) devotional book, My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers.  Obviously, the above scripture from Genesis leaps out at me as God both creates the light and declares it "good."  Then, the January 3rd entry of Chambers' devotions contains this statement:  The only possible way to have full understanding of the teachings of Jesus is through the light of the Spirit of God shining inside us.  Further confirmation, to be sure.

But it is on the following Sunday that Pastor Jared's sermon seals the deal.  To paraphrase, he is speaking about how Christ's light empowers us to change, making visible all those things we would rather not see about ourselves.  Jared urges us to not be content to hide in the shadows.  If we allow the light of Jesus to shine on us, in us and through us, He will renew us and inspire us as He pulls us out of the darkness into the dawn of a brand-new day.

I'm thrilled for this affirmation and actively anticipating the myriad was that "Light" will bless me in the coming year.  And with God's help, I pray that I will bless others as we celebrate Jesus, the Light of the World, together.

Amen!

Doing a New Thing

 

Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old.  Behold, I am doing a new thing; not it springs forth, do you not perceive it? ~Isaiah 43:18-19

Happy New Year!  Welcome back, faithful friends, to Meditations of My Heart.  My prayer is that we well all grow closer to the Lord as we embark on yet another year together, seeking His truth and leaning on His promises.

Many of you who read my blog also follow the delightful writer and blogger, Victor Moubarak, who posts regularly at Time for Reflections.  Victor pens Christian-themed posts as well as some that showcase his unique, God-threw-the-mold-away sense of humor.  He has also published a plethora of books that I encourage you to check out on Amazon.  On a personal note, my favorite character in his novels is Fr. Ignatius, a loveable Catholic priest who selflessly serves his parishioners living in an economically-challenged town in Northern England.  The dilemmas and predicaments Fr. Ignatius faces in his role as shepherd of his flock are memorable, enlightening and sometimes even downright dangerous.

This year, I'm happy to announce, Victor is doing a new thing!  He has created a forum entitled The Christian Lounge which has just been launched.  The stand-out feature of this blog is that not only are you invited to read and comment upon the entries posted there, but may also submit your own short articles (500 words or less) on what living the Christian life means to you.  As Victor states, you can write about anything on Faith, Trust, Beliefs, Worries, Fears, Sin, Forgiveness, Marriage, Divorce, Heaven Hell . . . the list is endless.

He further notes that you can ask relatives, friends or even your pastor to submit articles, but be sure to include the name of the person so credit can be rightfully given.  All denominations are welcome to join in the sharing of your thoughts about how Christianity has both changed and enhanced your life.

Interested?  Simply email Victor at enquiries@holyvisions.co.uk and make sure to include your email address so he can get in touch with you.  Another perk?  Joining the group costs nothing!  How's that for a good deal?

I would add, too, that since I'm not on social media and many of you are, please take a moment to share this blog with your friends on Facebook, X and Instagram.  And if you do choose to join The Christian Lounge, feel free to promote that website, too.

Victor sincerely hopes that you will Come and join this adventure of spreading God's Word together as a community in order to honor and serve Him.

Amen!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

 

From our hearts and hearth to yours, have a

and a Happy and Blessed New Year!

I will be taking a much needed break from blogging until after the New Year.  Thanks to each and every one of you for all your kind thoughts and comments during 2025.  See y'all in 2026!

Shine the Light

 

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. ~Isaiah 9:2

Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.  Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy. ~St. Francis of Assisi

Christmas is the season of light and life.  As we retell the story of Jesus' humble birth in a stable, our hearts swell with gratefulness.  We celebrate God becoming one of us in order to save us all from sin and death.  So many reasons to rejoice and praise rejoice and praise our Lord and King!

If you are a baby boomer, you've seen plenty of changes over the years and made countless Christmas memories.  Some are exquisite treasures to unwrap as we reminisce about days gone by.  Others may evoke a melancholy when we remember the dear ones we love who are no longer with us.

I dare say that most of us experience both types of these memories at Christmas.

Last year, Danny finds a box of ornaments that he remembers from his childhood.  I don't personally have any ornaments from that long ago, the the ones my parents and grandparents placed on the tree looked a lot like these.

I find myself waxing nostalgic for those days when these fragile orbs sparkled in the lights strung on the tree.  I suppose they would be classified as vintage now.

And speaking of vintage, Danny also salvages a toy fire truck he played with as a kid and places it under our tree.

I know that's a bit unorthodox, but it matches the red firetruck ornament that his sons used to hang on the tree each year.

He thinks the grandchildren, who will be visiting after Christmas, will get a kick out of it, and they probably will.  And take a look at which not-so-old ornament is hanging right above the truck?

Some of you will instantly recognize the Tunnel to Towers logo and know the incredible work this organization does.  It's a noble charity that both Danny and I are proud to support.  Founded by Frank Siller whose little brother, a firefighter, died attempting to rescue people from the Twin Towers on 9/11, Tunnel to Towers helps families of firefighters, police and veterans who are injured or killed in the line of duty.  They provide mortgage-free, and when necessary, handicapped-accessible homes for these selfless heroes.

Not just in this season of hope but all year round, this organization is shining the light of hope in what would otherwise be a dark time of grief and despair for those families of the injured or fallen in the line of duty.  Would you like to join in their efforts?  You can!  For only $11 a month, you can support Tunnel to Towers and help them continue to do good for our brave men and women in uniform.  Their website is www.T2T.org if you wish to shine the light of Jesus into the lives of so many deserving patriots and their families.

As we reflect upon and give thanks for the greatest gift ever given to us in Jesus, may we open our hands and hearts to give love to others this Christmas season.

Amen!

The Greatest Story Ever Told

 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ~John 1:1

I'm a hopeless bibliophile.  The photo above proves it beyond a shadow of at doubt. (And these are by no means all of the book-filled shelves in the house.)  Believe it or not, I've managed to give away some books over the years because, although they are entertaining at the time, I have no interest in reading them again.  Danny has the patience of Job when it comes to allowing such a collection to swell our downstairs shelves.

Last week, I'm in that same room putting away the last of the Thanksgiving paraphernalia, when my eyes are inexplicably drawn to a thin, spineless book squeezed between two others.

What in the world?  Curiosity, of course, wins the day.  I pull the tattered book from the shelf and to my utter surprise, this is what greets me.

I am truly confounded.  Where did this book come from?  I have no memory whatsoever of buying it from any used book shop or yard sale.  I carry it upstairs and show it to Danny.  No, he's never seen it before.  We open it to the first cover and find this inscription:

Janet with love from Aunt Nealie.  Christmas 1940.

Neither of us know a Janet nor had an Aunt Nealie.  Reason tells me that I must have picked up this tiny volume at some time or another, but to have no prior recollection, especially for a book this old defies logic.

Why was my attention grabbed by this non-descript, backless book on the shelf?  And right as Christmas is upon us?  My conclusion?  It's a God-incidence!

I begin reading The Life of Our Lord straightaway.  Although some of the language Dickens uses from the KJV might be confusing for today's children with its thees, thous and thys when he quotes from scripture, that can easily be amended while reading aloud to your children or grandchildren.  Since our grand-girls will be visiting the day after Christmas and staying until the second of January, that gives us the perfect opportunity to enjoy some reading sessions together.

You may be wondering, too, why Mr. Dickens did not want his account published as were his other books.  Here is what the foreword says:  A few hours before he was stricken with the attack which caused his death a day later, Dickens wrote a letter to John M. Makeham, who had accused him of irreverence in a passage of "The Mystery of Edwin Drood."  The final paragraph of that letter, perhaps the last word written by Dickens, contained this statement:  "I have always striven in my writings to express veneration for the life and lessons of Our Saviour, because I feel it and because I rewrote that history for my children - every one of whom knew it from having it repeated to them - long before they could read and almost as soon as they could speak.  But I have never made proclamation of this from the housetops."

The long and short of this is, Charles Dickens didn't want what he referred to as the ". . . best book that ever was or will be known in the world" to be thought of as anything less than that.  The best!

And that's precisely why he wrote it for his own children that they might understand the magnitude and majesty of Jesus' coming into the world to save us all.  It is, after all, the greatest story ever told.

Amen!

The Coming of the Lord

 

He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon."  Amen.  Come, Lord Jesus. ~Revelation 22:20

The Lord is coming, always coming.  When you have ears to hear and eyes to see, you will recognize him at any moment of your life.  Life is Advent; life is recognizing the coming of the Lord. ~Henri Nouwen

As we enter the highly anticipated season of Advent, have we quieted our souls and prepared room in our hearts for the imminent coming of the Lord?  Are we, as Nouwen states, recognizing Jesus' presence not just in this season, but in all the ordinary moments of our lives?

And if we're not living in a perpetual state of expectancy, then why aren't we?  What would it take for us to do so?

Advent invites us to slow down, to sit in stillness, to allow that feeling of waiting with expectancy to fill us once again.  Is that easy to do in the hustle-bustle of the holiday?  No, but we should make every effort to accept God's invitation to come away with Him for a while and find rest as we prepare for the miracle of miracles, the birth of our Savior.

My prayer for you, my friends, is that you will heartily embrace this season with its promise of hope, joy, peace, and love.  The coming of the Lord Jesus is right around the corner.

Amen!

Do you have any special Advent traditions?  Please share in the comments.

Thy Will Be Done

 

In this manner, therefore, pray:  Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.  Your kingdom come.  Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. ~Matthew 6:9-10

There are only two kinds of people in the end:  those who say to God, "Thy will be done," and those to whom God says, in the end, "Thy will be done."  All that are in Hell, choose it.  Without that self-choice there could be no Hell.  No soul that seriously and constantly desires joy will ever miss it.  Those who seek find.  To those who knock it is opened. ~C. S. Lewis, The Great Divorce.

The Lord's Prayer.  We recite it every Sunday in church.  It's probably one of the first prayers we memorize as children.  The words, said repeatedly, are comforting and familiar to each of us.

But the problem arises when these words become nothing more than rote when saying them out loud.  We speak corporately out of habit, not taking time to reflect upon what we are actually espousing with each uttered phrase.  It is, indeed, a slippery slope for Christians, young and old.

When we pray that God's will be done, do we mean it?  Do we really believe it, or do we secretly think His will should be done only if it aligns with our hopes, our dreams, our expectations?  If that's the case, we are confining ourselves to our own lonely, isolated perspective where we deem our needs and desires to be more important than what God wills for our lives and for the lives of those we love.

Tragically, this whole misconception leaves God and His sovereignty out of the equation altogether.  That idea alone should shake us to our very core.  Because the evil one craves nothing more than to work to separate us from the God we profess to love and worship.  The devil sees that narcissistic chink in our armor as an opportunity to worm his way into our hearts and minds.

St. Paul proclaims in Romans 8:39 that nothing can separate us from God's love.  I agree.  But God created us with free will; we can choose His way or the highway at any given juncture.  As C. S. Lewis states above, all that are in Hell choose it.

As we prepare here in the States to celebrate Thanksgiving this week, I challenge all of you to take time to rediscover the Lord's Prayer.  Examine each turn of phrase.  Ask yourself if you wish for God's kingdom to reign on earth as it does in heaven, or do you prefer your own little kingdom of one to prevail?

I have no doubt you will come to the right conclusion.

Amen!