The Light

Christmas time brings so many memories for me and I would like to share one with you. Every year my dad and I put the tree up together on Christmas Eve. We had a tree topper that was a star and the middle cylinder revolved throwing different colors all over the room. After decorating the tree, we would turn off all the lights leaving only the tree on. I would curl up in my pops lap and watch the colors float around the room. It was a special, magical time that felt so calm, so warm.

I think part of what made it special was because it was just me and my papa quietly talking, soaking in the light and love of Christmas. This time of year isn’t meant to be all hustle, rush, and stress. The best of Christmas comes in the small quiet moments. The lasting memories aren’t who got what. The things that will stick with you down the years are moments spent in the light of love, God’s love, family love, love shared with friends.

This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you. God is light, in him there is no darkness at all. -1 John 1:5, NIV

I pray that you are able to spend time soaking in the light of God’s love, and just as important sharing the light with someone else. Remember the best gift ever came from above! Merry Christmas to you all as you light up the world with His love!

Circles

Today will not be yesterday
Today was yesterday

Today will be different
Today was the same

Today I begin
Today I never started

Today I pray
Today I prayed

Today I learn
Today I learned

Today I believed a lie
Today God showed me that lie

Today a small change happens
Today happened

The repetition of sunrises & sunsets, of work weeks & weekends, of habits & patterns can convince us that we’re just going in circles, that much of the desired change we wish in ourselves will never occur. However, my beloved friend, this is simply not true.

Change is something that is always occurring. In fact, it is inevitable. We can attempt mastery over it, but I have found little success with that myself. However, a rapport with Jesus over time has brought my character to places where I feel no shame but rather I feel humbled and honored to be.

I don't have one verse for you today. I sought Jesus in prayer, and He led me to scripture and insights for my day. I ask today that you just take time to build your rapport with Him and I assure you beautiful changes in time will come to you.

Walk the Walk

There are plenty of people out there that can talk the talk, but far less that actually walk the walk. The bible has word for when our walk matches our talk. It’s called faithfulness. There is also a word for when our walk doesn’t match our talk. It’s called hypocrisy. Proverbs 20:6 poses a question that I think each one of us should consider.

Many a man proclaims his own steadfast love, but a faithful man who can find? -Proverbs 20:6, ESV

In essence, it is asking us, who is actually going to walk the walk? Who is going to live with integrity? Who will be faithful to follow-through? Our actions, for better or worse, teach others about the God we claim to follow. When we walk the walk as Christians it helps people to get a clear picture of who God really is. When there is a disconnect between our words and our actions, we distort the character of God in our hypocrisy.

Nominal means in name only. We shouldn’t be nominal Christians. That is, if you say you are a Christian, you ought to live like a Christian. What damage we cause when we say we follow Christ, yet we act like we have never met Him. Is there an area of your life where your walk isn’t matching your talk? Choose today to live faithfully. People are looking for something real and when you walk the walk, they will get a taste of it. Let your light shine bright for God’s glory. I’ll leave with a chorus today from the Mark Trammell Quartet.

You know, your walk talks, and your talk talks
But your walk talks louder than your talk talks
Your behavior toward your neighbor
Is really how you feel about the Savior
When you exemplify and shine the Light of Christ
You know the number in the kingdom will be multiplied.
Yes, your walk talks, and your talk talks,
But your walk talks louder than your talk talks.

Better to Have Never Been Born

Have you ever breathed out so hard that you hoped the next breath didn’t come in? Over a span of nearly 5 years on multiple occasions I remember tears filling my hands and praying “Lord, you’re all I have but don’t want this pain anymore, let me breathe out as hard as I can and for it to be my last. But if another breath fills my lungs, I will praise you with it”.

Out….
Hold….
Gasp...
Praise.

I am blessed to have never considered harming myself nor have I suffered from chronic depression with an unknown cause, but I have suffered acute depression with a known cause that invaded nearly every moment for five years. One may think that would give person a relief knowing why they hurt but honestly it only frustrated me with myself because I could not be released of it. I asked for healing, had others pray for it, and sought counseling yet this pain was still there. So, all that frustration of not healing became self-directed as “your just a messed up person Troy”. I felt hopeless, and that it would never pass. I still don’t understand this but then one day in a miraculous moment of prayer with a close friend I FELT IT LIFT! 

Why do I share this personal story with you? It is not to tell you that, “just pray and it will go away.” No doubt the Lord may do that for you, or He may permit it to stay with you for years as He did with me. But I want you to know is, “you are not alone, and Jesus cries each tear with you”.

I have multiple non-Christian & Christian friends who call me or come by my home telling me of how they want the pain to end in their life and some are haunted by dark thoughts of taking their own life. I think of Job a righteous man who cursed the day he was born, wished it was blotted out and his birth was never known. I think of David a man after God’s own heart saying “I am worn out from my groaning”. I think of Jesus weeping. So, hear this my loved friend,

you are not alone. 

I urge you to bring your attention to the truth brought out in Hebrews 5:7-10, & 7:25. Focus on how Jesus offered prayers and cries to God while on Earth and currently sits at the right side of His Father offering our cries to His Father as an interceding high priest, “Jesus cries each tear with you”.

7 In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. 8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. 9 And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, 10 being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek. -Hebrews 5:7-10, ESV

Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. -Hebrews 7:25, ESV