Crying for a Christmas

These are the lives of the rearranged
Scattered souls who've been displaced
Nowhere else to turn
Like Bethlehem we have packed the place
Human need fills ever space
No room at the inn

Still God found a corner,
Made a bed down in the hay
Could he reappear, make his advent here
Will he still draw near today?

My world is crying,
Crying for a Christmas
Some way to know for sure –
That our God is with us
We could all use a sign
A little glimpse of divine
For a world that still cries for Christmas

Feeding trough on a dirty floor
Unimpressive welcome for
God's Almighty Son
Are we as blind to incarnation
Daily proof of our salvation
Love's already come

We are not abandoned,
All alone in our despair
He who once came down, he can still be found
Every when and everywhere

Jesus you are here, Jesus you are now
Jesus you are here, Jesus you are now

My world is crying,
Crying for a Christmas
Some way to know for sure –
That our God is with us
We can all be the sign
That his love is alive
For a world that still cries for Christmas

(Scott Krippayne Lyrics)

"They say that Aslan is on the move"

I am embarrassed to say this. As a teacher and lover of English literature, I am embarrassed to say this. I am reading through the Chronicles of Narnia for the first time. I stayed clear away from the books as a child. Despite growing up in England, I knew very little about C.S. Lewis. Not knowing much about him, and knowing that one of the characters in the books was a witch, my innocent, yet very misinformed mind decided that I would not read them. As an adult I have stayed away from them as fantasy is not a genre that I enjoy reading.

However, my husband once had me read the section in which Aslan is killed by the witch to a Sunday School class that he taught. Since then, I've been curious.

So I have begun my journey into Narnia, and I am enthralled. Realizing that the purpose of this blog is very different than that on my class website, on which I would rant on and on about literature, I will talk only of one thing: Aslan - an allegorical representation of Christ.

There are two phrases, specifically, that have captured my attention and spoken to my heart.

The first is when Aslan is playing with Lucy and Susan after he comes back to life. Joyful at finding him once again full of life, the children run after him in a loving game of chase. In this description it reads, "and whether it was more like playing with a thunderstorm or playing with a kitten Lucy could never make up her mind" (The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, Chp. 15). I love this picture. It reminds me of the joyous affection that Jesus has for us, but also of the power that is within Him.

The second phrase gives me hope. It is uttered after Narnia has fallen under the influence of the witch. Aslan had seemingly vacated the land, allowing her dominion. All have suffered under her reign. Even nature bore the heavy burden of a never ending winter. But there is hope: "Aslan is on the move" (The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, Chp. 10). Rumours of Aslan's return are whispered throughout Narnia, and creatures and nature alike start to imagine a "thaw".

I often feel as if we are living in a time of winter; a time that is characterized more by regression than growth. But Jesus is on the move, friends. It is not a rumour and it needn't be whispered. Jesus, the thunderstorm, is moving. Winter is losing its grip on Narnia. There is a battle being waged; the outcome of which we already know. Victory, we know, belongs to Jesus.

I thank you Jesus, that you are "on the move"!

He Renews Our Strength

"But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint."

- Isaiah 40:31

I don't know about you, but sometimes I feel completely worn out. Life is hectic, and I often feel like I'm racing to keep up with it. Sleep doesn't come easily, because my mind is always running through all the things I have to do the next day.

That is NOT the way God designed us to live.

He wants us to TRUST Him, and He will give us STRENGTH. Isn't that encouraging?

There's a song that I've been listening to recently, and I think it really sums up what I'm trying to say here:

In the Morning by Steve Bell

In the morning
When the dew lies on the ground
And your glory’s all around
In the morning
When the sun is on the rise
And your splendour fills the skies

I look to You in the morning
To be my strength for this day
I look to You in the morning
To be my strength for this day
In the evening
When the day is almost done
And we watch the setting sun

In the evening
As we put our work to rest
Noting all that you have blessed
I look to You in the evening
And give You thanks for this day
I look to You in the evening
And give You thanks for this day

I've started waking up each morning with a prayer that God would give me the strength I need to do His will that day. If we TRUST Him, He will give us STRENGTH. We will NOT grow weary or faint.

Now that's a promise I'm going to hold on to.

The Blessed Future

I took this picture on the way to my Father-in-law's funeral in Alberta.

How hard it is to say goodbye to the ones we love....but how wonderful to know that this life is not the end!  I already look forward to that blessed day when I will hug my Lord for the first time...and hug my Father-in-law again.  What a re-union it will be!

Yesterday I was praying for some people in my life that I love dearly who are struggling with some uncertainty in their future...the Lord spoke these words into my heart.

You may not know what the future holds but you can be certain that God is in your future.


 I read these words in Isaiah 35:10

And the ransomed of the Lord shall return
and come to Zion with singing;
everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;
they shall obtain gladness and joy,
and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

I remember these well loved words found in Jeremiah 29:11-13

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.  Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.  You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

Precious one....the God of Peace...is in your future.

Give Thanks to the Lord

"Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;
for His steadfast love endures forever."
(1 Chronicles 16:34; Psalm 107:1; Psalm 118:1&29)

On this Canadian Thanksgiving, I'm thinking that there are a lot of people who feel thankful for a lot of things, but don't really know who to thank.

Today I'm thankful that I have Someone to thank. I know the God who has given life and breath and everything pertaining to life. The I AM, the Sovereign God who spoke all things into existence and holds all things in His hand is the God I know.

This all powerful and great God... is intimate with me and loves me. When I think of the dreadful power displayed in nature, and the vastness of the ocean and sky, and the grandeur of the mountains, and consider that the God who created all this is infinitely greater, and yet loves me... it's mind-boggling and only faith can see that as reality.

All the power and greatness and majesty of God is all wrapped up in love. God is love. He stoops down and makes Himself so small - all for love, to meet me.

I'm not just thankful... I'm in love.

Transforming and Listening

Last weekend I was at a youth retreat, and God spoke to me in an incredible way. It was Saturday morning, and we were told to go out somewhere in the camp for quiet time to be with Jesus. I decided to go up to the gazebo, because I love looking out at the lake and God's beautiful creation. At this point I had no idea what passage I would read or what God wanted to say to me. Once there, I found a plaque explaining who the gazebo was dedicated to. At the bottom was a passage: Romans 12: 1-3. So I decided to read it. It was exactly what I needed to hear, verse two in particular:

"Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect." - Romans 12:2

I love the idea of being transformed from the inside out... God taking the way I think and making me see through His eyes. It was a call to be counter-cultural and completely changed. It had a huge impact. But that's not even the best part of the story...

After about 45 minutes, we came back to the main building to have worship and a session. Our youth pastor gets up front and tells us the theme for the weekend: Romans 12:2. I was shocked. I quickly pulled out my Bible and checked to make sure it was the same verse I had underlined half an hour earlier. It was. Boy, by then I was overwhelmed by God's power to get my attention. Wow, oh wow. So the whole weekend was based around the verse that I had "stumbled" upon at the gazebo. God is so incredible. He will never stop amazing me. I encourage you to check out the whole chapter of Romans 12. It has some powerful stuff in there. And never doubt that God's ability to speak to us. He always wants to tell us things, but we have to make sure we're listening.

Goodness...

I sing unto the Lord a song that my heart knows well...that He is Good!  Yes...so incredibly good.
Even now I count his blessings...I write them out...to recall on another day...the goodness of the Lord.

A favorite of mine right now from Isaiah 40:16

And I will lead the blind in a way that they do not know, in paths that they have not known
I will guide them.
I will turn the darkness before them into light,
the rough places into level ground.

These are the things I do
and I do not forsake them.

This is such a GOOD thing from the Lord.

 As I nod off to sleep, I repeat to myself His words and they make me smile...The Father God Himself, reveals His character, his goodness...He does not leave me to struggle through and find my own way in the dark of the unknown, the insecurities of my world....Nooooooo

He claims truth over my life and over yours...He states his promise, his very good promise, to lead, to guide, to bring light against darkness....and if that's not just "all that"...I love this part and I can almost hear him saying it in my mind..."These are the things I do...and I do not forsake them."

I love Him.