Pre-New Year Praise

This may be my last post before 2017 arrives. I am looking forward to being in church on the first day of the New Year. It will be a wonderful privilege and blessing to "ring in the New Year" in a house of worship offering my praise and thanksgiving to God. That anticipation leads me to share what the Spirit placed in and on my heart this morning.

We live in a world of entitlement; a world that bathes itself in selfishness; a world full of people that has lost respect for their self as well as respect for others and a world that is growing more unthankful as time goes by. I felt the Holy Spirit nudge my heart this morning and remind me that those attributes do not need to be operating in the lives of His children. We need to be the anti-dote to the attitudes that seem to be very visible in our modern day society. 

Psalm 100 began to resonate in my heart as I reflected on the goodness of God and the greatness of God that I have witnessed in 2016 as well as all the previous years of my life. Time would not allow me and my memory would be unable to recall all that God has done in my life. God recognizes our human frailties and understands our human limitations. But God has provided us a "venue" that allows us to express to God our sincere appreciation. I call it the venue of praise and David expressed God's viewpoint of this venue in Psalm 107: "Oh that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness; and for His wonderful works to the children of men!" (NKJV)

I want to take this opportunity to encourage you to join with me in offering thanks to God via the "venue of praise" that He has prepared for us as we prepare to say good-bye to 2016. I fully understand that each of us have faced days of trials, troubles, challenge, and difficulty. But it is also true that during those days we sensed the nearness of the presence of God. "Oh that men would give thanks to the Lord..." In some cases we would not have been able to make it through those moments if had not been for the Lord being with us. 

Let us begin the New Year by reflecting on the goodness of God in the previous year (s) of our lives. "Oh that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness..." Let us begin the New Year by being determined to become a "person of praise." "Oh that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness..." 

Some of you are aware that my Dad passed away this year. I had the privilege of praying with him and my Mom on many occasions the past few years and especially the last few months of his life. He would always say these words prior to praying together, "Mike, we are going to close out by praising the Lord." We would offer our prayers to the Lord. And I would begin to hear Dad start offering his praise to God and his voice would begin to grow softer and then I would hear the phone click and I new that Dad had walked away from the phone offering His praise to God. I plan on closing out 2016 by offering my praise and thanksgiving to God. "Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness..." 

Psalm 100: “Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands! ² Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing. ³ Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. ⁴ Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. ⁵ For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations.” (NKJV)

Looking Back Yet Looking Ahead

Ephesians 3:20-21, “ Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, ²¹ to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” (NKJV)

We are quickly moving toward the conclusion of 2016. I trust that each of you enjoyed a wonderful time of celebration at Christmas. First, we were blessed with a wonderful service on Christmas morning at New River. The presence of God was definitely with us as we turned our attention toward our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I was both honored and blessed with the opportunity to share the Word of God with the congregation. Our family enjoyed a time of sharing our love with one another, our hugs with one another, our laughter and even a few tears with one another. We shared our gifts with one another and my wonderful wife provided a delicious meal that each one of us enjoyed, Our four grandchildren shared information and even some inspiration regarding four of the characters of the "Christmas story." The sharing of these insights into Christmas was a highlight of our time together. 

The wrapping paper has been put away. The last of the leftovers have been devoured. The gifts have been put away or worn already. The tree and decorations will soon come down and put away until next year. The Christmas music does not feel the same way as it did prior to Christmas. We will soon return to our "normal routine" of life. Some people will even make this comment that it was fun while it lasted. And others will be looking toward New Years Eve as one final "emotional high" prior before the 2016 ends. 

But where do we go from here? First, we certainly do not know what 2017 will hold. We are living in an era of time that is very unpredictable and can change very quickly. We also live in a world of uncertainty, confusion, distrust, division and even hatred. Where do we look and in whom do we trust? We realize that the fickleness of the world does not offer any lasting hope, joy, peace, comfort, etc. 

BUT WE DO REALIZE, UNDERSTAND AND BELIEVE THAT THE PROMISES OF GOD ARE TRUE, STEADFAST AND UNSHAKABLE!! We place our confidence in God and His promise to love us and His promise to care about of us. I shared one of the promises of God at the beginning of this blog. I would encourage you to meditate on those words and allow the hope of that passage to take root in your heart as we complete the year of 2016 and prepare to enter 2017!!

Christmas Reminder

Luke 2:11-14, “For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” (NKJV)

There are two more days before we enter into the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. But that is really a misstatement for Christians. I for one celebrate Jesus Christ on a daily basis because I am able to recognize His presence being with me on a consistent basis. I do not need neither do I want my recognition of the presence of Christ to be based on a "holiday" that only rolls around once a year. I want to be sensitive to the fact that Christ is at work in my heart and life on a daily basis and I desire to respond to His presence with praise, adoration, thanksgiving, exaltation and with a personal testimony to the goodness of God. 

My heart was drawn to some important points of remembrance during a conversation with a dear friend of mine who has encountered several health issues over the past few years. One of the points that I will share today was inspired through the words that he spoke to me. Each of these points should be a "given" for each of us but honestly speaking it is very easy to take for granted those blessings that God has provided for us. We can find ourselves either so captured by the good times of life or so overwhelmed by the challenging moments of life that we fail to fully put things into the proper perspective. 

1) We should remember on this Christmas Day to offer thanks to God for the opportunity and privilege to have a relationship with Him. It was the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ that opened the door of salvation for each one who would say yes to His invitation. 

2) We should remember on this Christmas Day to offer thanks to God for the family and friends that God has placed in our lives. We understand that no one us has a perfect family or a perfect group of friends but we do recognize and appreciate the impact and influence that each one of them has had on our lives. On a personal note, I am thankful for my wife, my children and their wives as well as our grandchildren. I am thankful for my Mom, siblings and their families. I am thankful for my in-laws as well as their families. I would like to give recognition to my Dad as well as Ann's Mother and Dad. These special people will not be present with us in a physical manner but they are certainly "alive" in our hearts, in our memories and through the lessons of life that they taught us. Each of them are in the presence of God but they are also in our presence through the impact and influence that they imparted to their families. 

3) We should remember on this Christmas Day to thank God for the church family that He has given to us. Our church family is certainly not perfect either but we do know that they have our backs so to speak and we understand that we can count on their prayers, support, and encouragement. We do not need to take for granted those who serve among us and those who are willing to invest their time and effort into our lives.

4) LAST BUT NOT LEAST!! We should remember on this Christmas Day or Christmas Eve Day to pray with our family. It is important for the leaders of the family to pray for the younger members of the family. We must take seriously the need to "stand in the gap" for one another. We need each other and we need to support each other in Prayer.

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE WILLINGHAM'S!!! 

God's Love

I John 4:7-11, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. ⁸ He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. ⁹ " ¹⁰ In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. ¹¹ Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” (NKJV)

There are many revelations of God that is contained in the message of Christmas. We learn about the Immaculate Conception (the virgin birth of Christ). We identify the obedience of Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, and the Magi. We are able to see the hand of God at work as He directs the plan that has Jesus in Bethlehem when it was time for Him to be born. These are just a few of the examples of the Hand of God at work during this prophetic time in the history of humanity.

But there is another "truth" that I want to bring to your attention. The birth of Christ is the revelation of God's love to fallen humanity. Let me remind you of the words found in verse 9 of 1 John 4. "In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him." What we refer to as the plan of salvation was initiated through the power of the promise that is declared in this verse. The love of God was one of the foundational stones that paved the way for each of us to enter into a relationship with our Heavenly Father. 

The plan of salvation would require the entrance of the Son of God into this world through the human process of birth. We know that this plan would ultimately lead Jesus to the cross to die for the sins of the world. John 3: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son..." Do you see the pattern of God's love resonating through the birth of Christ? 

This post is not a theological dissertation as much as it is a simple reminder that we need to remember the LOVE OF GOD as we celebrate the birth of Christ in a few days. The love of God was made manifest and lived out through the life of Jesus Christ. I have witnessed the love of God demonstrated this past year as people have accepted Jesus as their Savior. I have witnessed the love of God demonstrated as people have been healed from various ailments. I have witnessed the love of God as "precious saints" have made their transition from earth to the presence of God through the vehicle of death. I have witnessed the love of God manifested through the smile of a baby's face. I have witnessed the love of God manifested though family and friends who have shared His love and their love with me. The list of the occurrences of the love of God is endless in each of our lives. We just need to take time to remember them!!

DON'T FORGET THE LOVE OF GOD AS YOU CELEBRATE ON SUNDAY!!!

Don't Forget

I have found myself very determined to remember and reconnect with the true message of Christmas. That desire seems to be a re-occurring theme across the spectrum of Christianity. I have been reading thoughts from various sources over the past few weeks and I discern the fact that God is calling us back to the "Truth of Christmas." I understand that there is a "cultural understanding" and demonstration of the Christmas story but I am more concerned with the "Biblical understanding" regarding the birth of the Savior of the World.  

My concern goes deeper than just saying the words "Merry Christmas" rather than "Happy Holidays." Those words may be a symptom of the problem but I believe that we face a far deeper "illness" that is at work in our world. I believe that the Deity of Christ is under attack. I also believe that the modern day believer must make sure that his/her faith is built upon the solid foundation of the Word of God. But this foundation has to be more than just a book in our library or an app on our phone or tablet. The Word of God must have a definitive place in our heart and it must be proactively put into action in our lives. Those two actions lead us into a relationship with God that continually transforms/changes us from glory to glory. I just desire to know Him even more and I desire for the Word and the Spirit to perform its work in my life.

Earlier today I read some words that spoke to my heart. I would like to share them with you today, Be blessed and encouraged as the Word of God speaks to your heart throughout this day!!

Underneath the frivolity and fun of this Christmas season, there's something truly magnanimous. Feel free to revel in the generosity and sense of family that arises at this time, but please don't wander too far from the awe of the incarnation. It's not always easy to comprehend, but over 2000 years ago an unblemished, holy God stepped down from the lofty realms of heaven and made His dwelling place among men and women. Jesus is, in every way, the Word incarnate (John 1:14). Our long-standing biblically rooted faith is built upon the fact that the Son of God invaded human history and brought salvation into the lower reaches of the earth. 

"Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. ...It was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that ... He could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people" (Hebrews 1:14a, 17).

If Jesus never became flesh and blood, then humanity would be eternally encased in a frigid, inescapable darkness. Yet, by His willingness to humble Himself and take on human form, the transformation of the world has already begun. Although many luminous things capture our imaginations at Christmas, we must never forget the inexplicable wonder of the incarnation. For, in it, we find the basis of all our hopes and dreams. 

Monday's Musings

Let me take a  moment and share a personal reflection with you today. The messages that I have shared during this season of Christmas is different that any messages that I have ever shared during this special time of the year. Several weeks ago the Spirit began to deal with my heart about taking a "fresh" look at the message that revolves around Christmas. This unction from God has taken me on a journey that has led me to explore the message behind the message but also look at the fullness of the message of the birth of Christ. 

The birth of Jesus Christ set in motion the plan of God that would open the door to a personal relationship with God, our Abba Father. This relationship (personal adoption by Abba Father) would open the door to the rich reserves of promises that God has provided for His children. I knew the principle of "adoption" to be true but that principle has been re-planted into my heart and spirit. The principle of adoption has reignited my desire, passion, fervor and tenacity to pursue more of God which will ultimately lead me into a deeper, more personal relationship with Abba Father. I sense the presence of God as I am sitting at this desk typing (preaching) these words. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!!!

I was awakened early this morning out of a deep sleep by the Holy Spirit. Immediately I realized that subconsciously I had been reflecting on yesterday's message. I had shared about the fact that Jesus was born on God's timetable and not man's timetable. God's way and thoughts are certainly higher than our ways and thoughts. Over the past few weeks I have asked some of the men to share their personal reflections about some of the provisions that adoption has given to us,

One of these provisions is healing. I plan on sharing on this blog some observations that one of the men brought to our attention. But I need to share what happened to me this morning. I was taken back to a time in my memory when I was very ill. I was a Pastor in my early 20's who was walking by faith and trusting God to be my healer. I had been sick for several days with a high fever, major congestion, and I had become very weak. We did not have any insurance and our income was limited which hindered me from getting medical attention plus I was determined to trust God to heal me. Several people from church had come by our home and prayed for me but I was not getting any better. I had even limited the family from coming into my room because of the illness. BUT ONE OF THE MEN FROM THE CHURCH CAME BY TO CHECK ON ME AND PRAY FOR ME!! Aren't you glad for those moments when God interrupts your plans and inserts His plan into your life. He prayed for me because I was too weak to do much praying. The Spirit of God began to fill the room and I felt the Spirit of God rebuking the fever that has been in control of my body for several days. The fever broke, the sweat off my body soaked my bed clothes as well as the linens and blankets on the bed. The "stench of sickness' filled that room but I WAS HEALED. I was able to eat and my recovery began to be set in motion that very day!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!! OH I NEED TO TELL YOU THAT JESUS IS STILL ALIVE AND HE IS STILL MINISTERING TO HIS PEOPLE!!!!!!!

Christmas Thoughts on Thursday

I enjoyed our time of discussion in the Adult Discipleship class last evening. It is amazing to focus on the stories behind the story of Christmas. I am not only intrigued about looking into the information of the Christmas story but also the fresh inspiration that arises as we take another look at the Baby in the Manger. I encourage each of you to lift your eyes and heart toward Christ, our Lord and Savior and listen for His Voice to speak fresh revelation in your heart. Do you remember that the book of Hebrews declares that the word of God is "alive and powerful?" Let the Word of God come alive in you today!!!

I am going to share a poem that one of the ladies at New River wrote and shared with us in a recent Leadership Meeting. She expresses her thoughts about CHRISTMAS TIME through the following words. 

CHRISTMAS time is all about a baby being born

Heaven's rejoicing on that first Christmas morn

Red ribbons and bows cannot ever compare

It's the birth of JESUS, that we are to share

SAVIOR and LORD, was born on that Christmas day

Tell others the good news of Christ, for HE is the way

May we always celebrate our soon coming KING

And never forget, He is our EVERYTHING

Sometimes we seem to forget, that the best is still yet

Times we needed a helping hand or a lift

I know that we've been given GOD'S greatest gift

May God truly bless you this CHRISTMAS season

Every day, just know that CHRIST is the REASON

                                                                   B. Kidd

I trust that you will be blessed and encouraged today as we remember the blessings of the birth of Christ.

Paying Attention

Matthew 11:15, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” (NJKV)

The words of this scripture often resonate in my heart during prayer time as well as those times in which I am reading the Word of God. I can remember my parents telling me that I was not paying attention. I can remember telling our children that they were not paying attention. Now, I am telling our grandchildren that they are not paying attention. I wonder how often that God has thought the very same thing about me and my relationship with Him. Am I truly paying attention to God?

Am I truly committed to paying attention to God at all times or have I developed the strategy of "selective hearing." Selective hearing affords me the opportunity to pick and choose those words that are more pleasing or acceptable to me. I remember that I enjoyed my parents saying yes a lot more than I enjoyed them saying no especially if  the decision concerned something that I really desired to do. I must confess that I truly want to listen to God in every situation but there are some situations that challenge me to listen closely to what God is saying, I am a work in progress when it comes to listening to what God is saying.

I recently read these words that certainly challenged me to pay closer attention to those principles/teachings/directives that God will place in our lives if we truly pay attention to Him and His Word.

"Jesus taught compellingly about the importance of truly paying attention and listening to the life lessons found in His teachings. Because He illustrated truth with everyday examples, clearer comprehension was available, but the deepest understanding only came to those who were intellectually, spiritually, physically and emotionally engaged in hearing what Christ had to say. For believers, being present in the presence of Jesus is not passive prayer, but proactive listening. The heart hears best when it’s been cleansed by the Spirit and eagerly communes with Christ."

Let us re-commit ourselves to listening to Christ as we move forward in this celebration of the birth of Christ. Christ came to transform humanity and not just improve humanity. Is it possible that I have settled for improvement and failed to realize that Christ desires to lead me into transformation? 

Monday's Musings

The countdown toward Christmas is certainly moving us toward that special day of celebration. The decorations are very visible. The decorative lights are twinkling through the dark of the night. The Poinsettias are being sold in various locations. People of all ages are looking forward to opening their gifts to see what surprises are hidden in the gift bag or wrapped under the beautiful paper. And last but not least Pastors are trying to develop sermons that seek to remind us of our need to NOT FORGET THE TRUE REASON FOR THE SEASON!!

Simply put there is a lot of "action" taking place and there will be even more to come in the next two weeks. I do not want to sound like an old scrooge but I do need to ask this question. Do the traditions of Christmas draw more of our attention than the TRUTH OF CHRISTMAS? At first glance that seems to be an easy question to answer. We will immediately respond that the TRUTH of Christmas means more to us than any of the other activities of that special day. And I believe that it is true BUT there is also a real need (at least in my opinion) that we must reconnect with the depth of the story of Christmas and all of the Truth that is revealed to us.

I have felt a special unction from God to reconnect with the depth of the message of Christ and the open door of revelation that was declared when Christ was born. I have also felt led to write about that inspiration as well as share my heart with our local congregation. The needs that we are facing are challenging to say the least and we need to understand that we serve a "BIG" God who is able to meet the "BIG" needs that each of us are facing. I truly believe that the story of Christmas opens our eyes to the greatness of God and prepares our heart to receive the fullness of His Truth into our hearts. Could that be the reason that the true meaning of Christmas is under such attack? Could that be the reason that the celebration of the true meaning of Christmas is being limited in various areas of of our society? Even the words "Merry Christmas" have been replaced with "Happy Holidays." But I want you to know and I want others to know that I am not celebrating a "holiday" BUT I AM CELEBRATING THE BIRTH OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOR!!

I encourage you to take a closer look at the message of the baby in the manger!!

Thursday's Reflections

I was every encouraged through the discussion and interaction in the Adult Discipleship Class last evening. I have felt challenged/inspired/convicted by the Holy Spirit to take a fresh look at the "Christmas story." Is it possible that familiarity with the "story" can cause us to loose the desire to fully understand what God set in motion that night in Bethlehem? Is it possible that we have grown comfortable with just knowing the "theme" of the story and with being able to "identify" the major characters of the story? But I strongly believe that God has more to reveal and declare than just a theme and information about the characters. I still believe that the Truth of God's Word will provide those transformational moments in which our lives are radically changed from glory to glory. Would you join with me in a fresh pursuit of a life-changing experience with Christ?

Wednesday evening we looked at some of the reasons that the shepherds were included in the awesome revelation of the birth of Christ. I will not endeavor to speak to every comment/personal insight that was shared last night. I will only list some of the highlights and main themes that arose last night as we took a closer look at the important role of the shepherds on the wonderful day that we reference as "Christmas Day." You can read the full story in the second chapter of Luke.

These are a few of the major points that arose in our discussion.

1) The angels were not sent to the "upper class" citizenry of that day but to the common working man of that day and time. Notice the words of the Angel, "...Do not be afraid, for behold I bring you good tidings off great joy which will be to all people..." (Emphasis added)

2) These shepherds listened to God.

3) These shepherds responded to God in faithful obedience.

4) These shepherds went looking for the Baby Jesus until they found Him.

5) These shepherds shared with others the Good News that Jesus had been born in Bethlehem.

We can learn many valuable lessons from these men. I encourage you to delve a little deeper into the "full" story of Christmas. We may be surprised at what would take place in our lives.

Pearl Harbor Day

President Roosevelt referred to December 7, 1941 as a "day that would live in infamy." There will be a large number of people who will read this blog today who were not yet born when this tragic event took place in the history of America. It was one of the factors if not the major factor that propelled our involvement as a nation in WW II. Over 2400 American servicemen died that day and over 1,000 were injured through the attack on our military forces that day. 

I understand and remember that we honored and remembered our Veterans on Veterans Day but I felt led to remind us to remember the price that has been paid and continues to be paid so that America could live in and enjoy our FREEDOM!! I also understand that our nation is not perfect and that we have problems that need to be discussed and that proper adjustments need to be made to correct these problems. But aren't you glad that we have the freedom to openly discuss these issues and that we have the freedom to make the changes that are revealed to us through these discussions? Aren't you glad that we have the freedom to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world? Aren't you glad that we have the freedom to gather in our houses of Worship and offer our praise, worship and adoration to the King of Kings? I do not want people to forget that we have freedom because of the awesome people who saw a threat to our freedom and they chose to make the appropriate response. I do not want people to forget those brave men and women who continue to identify the challenges to our freedom and they choose to make the correct response. Don't forget these men and women when you cash or deposit your pay check. Don't forget these men and women as you shop in the mall. Don't forget these men and women when you sit and enjoy your meal at Christmas. Don't forget these men and women when you gather in your circle of family and friends and complain about the challenges that we are facing in America. Don't forget these men and women when you attend a Christmas Worship service and once again the Holy Spirit reminds each of us about the awesome Love of God that has been released in our lives!!

I read an interesting story about a sacrifice that a Catholic Priest chose to make on that December day in 1941. I am going to share a portion of the blog from which I read this story earlier this morning.

Aloysius H. Schmitt was a Catholic priest from St. Lucas, Iowa. He was serving as a Navy chaplain aboard the USS Oklahoma on this fateful day.

The Washington Post tells his story. Father Schmitt had just said Mass that Sunday morning when his ship was hit by at least nine Japanese torpedoes and grazed by several bombs. The battleship quickly rolled over in the water, trapping hundreds of men below deck. Some were saved by rescue crews or swam underwater to find their way out. A few managed to escape through portholes. Father Schmitt is said to have helped as many as twelve sailors get out of one small compartment. He chose to remain behind while they crawled to safety. As a result, he died while they lived.

His remains were recovered from the Oklahoma wreckage during a months-long salvage operation, but they were too damaged and jumbled with other bodies to be identified. As a result, they were buried as "unknowns" in a Hawaii cemetery. Last September, Father Schmitt's body was identified with the help of DNA retrieved from a skull bone and matched to a relative.

The priest's chalice and prayer book were recovered from the wreckage a few months after the attack. They have been kept at Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa, the college from which Father Schmitt graduated in 1932. His prayer book was found marked with a page ribbon for the December 8 readings, including the Eighth Psalm in Latin:

Domine, Dominus noster, quam admirable est nomen tuam in universa terra! Translated, David's words of praise read, "O Lord, our Lord, how magnificent is your name in all the earth!"

I believe that these words explain Father Schmitt's courage.

We serve God sacrificially to the degree that we believe him worthy of our sacrifice. And we do not allow the sins of others to deter us from serving him if we know that our sins cannot change his majestic character.

Father Schmitt started December 7, 1941, by praising and serving our magnificent Lord. 

Let's join him today.

Tuesday's Thoughts

I did not realize that is has been one week since I have made a post on the blog. I have been ill and the illness took a large amount of my energy but it certainly did not drain my passion for those things that pertain to God. My illness was not a life threatening illness for sure but it was one that kept hanging around which leads to frustration, disappointment, aggravation when it comes to recovering from the doldrums of sickness. I can only imagine the feelings that individuals carry in their heart when they are facing major illnesses or trying to recover from serious injuries. I was reminded of that during prayer time this morning. There have been times in my life when I failed to fully comprehend the burden of concern that people were feeling as they were facing their challenge. Isn't it a blessing to know that God will use our "difficulties" to teach us to be more compassionate toward others when they are facing their difficulties? Thank you Holy Spirit for depositing "Truth" in my heart when I need it the most.

Illness also reminds us that we need the prayer support, words of encouragement, and the care and concern of others as we face those challenging moments of life. It may vary from one to another depending upon the seriousness of the challenge that we are facing. Although I did not feel very well my challenge of life would have been at the lower end of the scale. But even then it was a refreshing blessing to know that someone was praying. It was refreshing and encouraging to know that someone was concerned. It was a blessing to know that someone cared about me and the process of my recovering from this illness. I have even received a text from someone checking on  my well being even as I am writing this post.

I have shared these feelings for this purpose. We live in a world that is so busy with so many things that it is easy to become an isolationist. I mean it is easy to choose to live in your own private world with very little time being spent investing in the lives of others. I see this happening in families, among friends and even there are times that it rears its ugly head among the family of God. I don't believe that life was meant to be spent living in isolation. I believe live was meant to be spent interacting first of all with God and interacting with those individuals that God has placed in our lives. 

I encourage you to take time to talk with someone this Christmas season. I encourage you to take time to read the Christmas card or the Christmas email that someone may share with you. I encourage you to take the time to thank God for your family and friends. Each of them have made and will continue to make a difference in your life if you will keep your heart open to them. Take time to ask God to keep your heart soft, humble, genuine, sincere and open to His Spirit. I asked God for those very things as I prayed this morning. 

I do not want my heart to grow cold, calloused, indifferent and distant from the heart of God. I certainly do not my heart to be moving away from God. I desire for my heart to be moving toward God and toward those people He has placed in my life!!