God’s Persistent Plan
When we look at the Christmas story, it’s easy to focus on the sudden, beautiful moments: the angel appearing, the star shining, the baby arriving. But what I find truly encouraging is not the suddenness, but the timing. It wasn't rushed. It was perfect.
Have you ever had a project or goal that you felt you missed the window on? You hesitated, things changed, and suddenly you feel like it’s too late? I know that feeling of discouragement when it seems the opportunity has passed you by. But let me tell you, when it comes to God’s plan for our lives, and certainly for the whole world, there is no such thing as being too late. There is only perfect timing.
The Apostle Paul wrote in Galatians 4:4 (KJV): "But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law."
The Dawn of Hope
It’s December 1st! Can you believe it? The air has a slight chill, and suddenly, everywhere I look, there are twinkle lights popping up. This time of year always fills me with a mix of energy and a sense of quiet longing that makes me want to snuggle up with a hot chocolate and reflect on what really matters.
And that’s exactly what I want to do this month. My focus is on ensuring the noise and rush don't drown out the most important part of the season: Christ.
Think about the world right now, and maybe even your own life, right where you are sitting. Even with all the beauty of the holidays, there's often a deep, persistent sense of darkness, isn't there? Maybe it's a fear you’re wrestling with, a goal you haven’t reached, or just the heaviness of the daily news cycle.
This is the darkness that the very first Christmas story broke through.
When the World Turns
This morning I woke up with a terrible case of vertigo. After having a rough weekend battling pain from my fibromyalgia, I was hoping to start the week feeling better and ready to tackle my growing to-do list. But, alas, such was not the case.
Instead, I lay in bed trying to get my world to stop spinning. Every time I shifted my head even slightly, the room whirled around me like I was trapped on some cruel amusement park ride. Tess could sense something was wrong and snuggled up closely as if to reassure me with her steady presence.
"So, I guess it's just going to be one of those days!" I mumbled, closing my eyes against the dizziness.
Have you ever felt that way? Not necessarily dealing with vertigo, but with the sensation that your entire life is spinning out of control?
The Undistracted Palm
I recently delved into the fascinating world of Leonardo Da Vinci's mind. Did you know he had hundreds of notebooks bursting with ideas for inventions, studies, paintings, and sculptures? The remarkable thing about Da Vinci wasn't just his genius but his peculiar habit of rarely finishing one project before jumping to another. His brilliant mind constantly churned with new concepts, leaving a trail of half-completed masterpieces.
Oh, how I feel a kinship with Leonardo! My desk drawer contains a notebook that's practically bursting with ideas for devotions, children's picture books, stories, and other literary ventures. Some mornings I wake with such clarity about a new book or story concept that I can hardly wait to scribble it down before it evaporates like morning dew.
"I'll finish my current project first," I tell myself firmly. Yet two hours later, I'm sketching outlines for the new idea while my half-edited manuscript sits neglected on my computer.
When God Says “No” to Plan B
Have you ever reached for your backup plan before seeking God's direction? I certainly have. It's a struggle as old as faith itself, and we see it vividly illustrated in the lives of the patriarchs.
When famine struck Canaan, Abraham, the father of faith, immediately packed for Egypt. No prayer. No seeking God's counsel. Just a practical solution to a pressing problem: "And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land" (Genesis 12:10).
Egypt, with its Nile-watered fields and abundant storehouses, represented a visible solution. But Abraham's self-directed detour led to compromise. Fearing for his life, he instructed Sarah: "Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee" (Genesis 12:13).