Filled

Tonight I sat out on the deck with my family and consumed some of the last fresh goodness of summer. We had chicken grilled side-by-side with ears of yellow corn. There was a glass bowl of spinach salad dotted with mandarin oranges and red potatoes, boiled and mashed with cheese and butter and garlic. We drank tall glasses of iced tea and took our time doing it. Our big, black dog, an old guy, laid at our feet, hoping that just one bite might fall unnoticed on the ground. On a side note I might add that he was sorely disappointed that when that morsel came, because while he smelled grilled chicken he got a mouth full of fresh spinach. Our little dog romped around the yard, sniffing and playing, and pausing to listen to the sounds from the dense trees in back. We were calm and unhurried and had not one thing that was plugged in, charged up, or had batteries. We stayed out long enough to see the sun move behind the trees and the moon, almost full, brighten in the sky.

I have heard that there are families that have evenings like that regularly but I suspect that to be a rumor that serves to keep the rest of us feeling a bit guilty about our too-busy lives. . Perhaps there are families that come home and prepare meals together and enjoy each other’s company and their phones never ring as they dine on well-planned succulent foods. That is not the case at my house. At my house we tend to put it together at the last minute just before rushing to other evening events or homework or laundry...always laundry.

Because of this, tonight I felt full…not just from the delicious meal that filled our bellies but from the evening itself. I felt full of the colors of fall…the crimson leaves and the pumpkin-colored leaves and even the brilliant yellow plants at the back of the yard that I secretly suspect might be ragweed but don’t call them that because I know it will cost them their lives.

I felt full of the sounds of crickets and the dogs and birds in the trees and the laughter and conversation around the table. Each of us talked about our day and each of us attended to the words of the others without distraction and it felt good.

I felt full of the sense of family and rest and of priorities (if just for one night) set aright. I felt filled up with the wonder of a God who goes out of His way to fill us up with good things and how often we don't even notice. There are still things to do…the laundry beckoning, and all the preparations for tomorrow.

But for tonight we just felt full.... and it was enough.

So this is Christmas

So this is Christmas...

This year my goal was to make jam cake. You might assume from this that jam cake is my favorite cake. It is not. It is not even second or third. On any given day if you asked me what my favorite cake is you would not even find this one listed amongst them. I like red velvet with thick, smooth cream cheese frosting or carrot cake with flecks of orange peeking out amongst the spicy brown layers. And cheesecake...if cheesecake counts, it definitely moves to the head of the pack. But it was jam cake that was on the corner of my grandmother's kitchen counter every single Christmas of my whole life until her last years when she was ill. I never ate it but it was always there and my mother loved it. The last Christmas before alzheimer's completely erased so many of the things she knew as well as the back of her hand my mother went her house to learn to make this cake she loved so much. It was too late. They tried and they giggled and had a good time but the result was not edible because she had forgotten the recipe. She had forgotten how to make it. So this Christmas I pulled out a tattered homemade cookbook, held together by a single silver ring. We were on a quest and at last we found the recipe, typed on a sheet of paper before I was even born and placed in this book. We made the cake, asking the men to stir the thick caramel frosting as it stiffened... and it turned out just as I remembered. The layers were a little less even but the caramel frosting looked just as I remembered. Having that cake just setting on my counter made me feel like it was Christmas and I had brought a little bit of the old into my new home for this holiday season. It made me feel happy to tie the old to the new... like I had grabbed the baton and carried it well. In Deuteronomy six, our heavenly Father reminds the children of Israel to remember and to carry the message to their children and their children's children. He says,

"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. When the LORD your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you--a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant--then when you eat and are satisfied, be careful that you do not forget the Lord..."

So many of the things we do at Christmas are the things that were handed down to us from those in our family who did them before us. Whether it is filling stockings or making cookies or building gingerbread houses....or eating jam cake...it is filled up with the things that make us remember who we are. As you have celebrated Christmas this year, what have you passed to those who will come after you. What have you done that will cause another generation to say, "Remember when Mom or Grandma or Aunt so and so did this? I want to do that with my children" Or remember when Dad or Grandpa or my favorite uncle told me the Christmas story in this way? That is what I want to do with my family."

So this is Christmas. It has to do with remembering and celebrating. It is remembering the way you have learned to celebrate it and those who have taught you to do so. It is tastes and smells and sights that make your heart feel warm and happy because of the things and people you associate with them.

But in the end, it is about remembering the Baby we celebrate and how we learn to shift our attention to Him...maybe in a way that will refocus our vision for more than just one day. It is about remembering Whose we are and how our lives can be a reflection of that.

It is about carrying the baton well and passing it on before the days when we are no longer able to remember all the ways God has been at work in our lives. Ultimately the essence of Christmas is remembering. Tonight, as you tuck in children who have been running on the adrenaline of gifts and desserts and grandparent's love, tell them the stories and remember well.

Love Extravagantly

Love Extravagantly

“We don't yet see things clearly. We're squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won't be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We'll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us! But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love.”

I Corinthians 13

Did you ever receive a very extravagant gift? During November and December of 1996 my husband was extremely secretive. He would go out on unexplained trips and have secretive conversations at church. Finally, late Christmas Eve afternoon I was sent to the bedroom with the door shut while he brought in the big surprise, covered in quilt after quilt so not one square inch of it showed. He was very pleased with himself and would not let me near the thing for the whole evening. The next morning at the very first light I padded to the bathroom (because that is what women do when they are great with child) and saw the light beginning to shine on the great monstrosity that sat in the middle of the living room. I awakened Tim and we headed to turn on the Christmas lights and start coffee. This was our first Christmas on our own and I think we were both a bit nervous about it measuring up to the other Christmases we had both known. Tim told me to open my gift. Carefully I removed the layers of blankets and quilts. Beneath the layers was a cherry wood cradle, lovingly handmade by a man in our church and my husband. The spindles were each hand-turned and the wood had been sanded to the texture of pure glass. The pieces were put together with wooden pegs, with no nails or screws used at all. It was exquisite. Tears leapt to my eyes. Money had been tight yet my husband had squirreled away the cash to buy this quality wood. Mr. Bill had literally spent hours carving and sanding and measuring to make this perfect piece of furniture. He had made only two before, one for each of his grandchildren, and yet he had poured out hours crafting this cradle for me and the baby in my womb. My heart told me that the hours he poured into this place that my child would rest her head were small compared to the hours he had prayed for the health of this child I had been told would never be.

The gift was extravagant. My heart was so full. I was loved extravagantly. This is the kind of love God lavishes on us. This is the kind of love He wants us to lavish on others. The dictionary says that extravagant is abundant and beyond what is reasonable. Most days we don’t have to wait for that opportunity. When I bake a pie for my husband when he was grumpy that morning, it is loving extravagantly. When I smile at the lady in the grocery store that has 38 items in the 10 items or less aisle and let her go ahead of me I am loving extravagantly. When someone lets me down once again and I continue to love them I am loving extravagantly. Something tells me there are enough relatives in most households this time of year to give most of us plenty of opportunities to love extravagantly. This Christmas why not find as many opportunities as you can to love others beyond what is reasonable. After all, isn’t that what brought our Lord to the manger anyhow?

Discussion Question
Who has shown me extravagant love? How can I show extravagant love to someone tomorrow?

Family Activity
Make a list of five people that you are going to make an effort to love extravagantly over the next few days. Go out of your way to love them better than they deserve. Enjoy watching them and their looks of confusion at your extravagant acts of love.

Contagious Joy

Contagious Joy

“When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!" Luke 1:41-45


I have always loved this passage. At the time I was expecting Moriah, I was the pianist at the small church where we were serving in Kansas City, Kansas. When she became big enough for me to feel her moving about in there, I could always feel her leaping around when I began to play the piano. She was so active when I played the piano that towards the end of the pregnancy parishioners who sat near the front could literally see the movement in my belly. Music still brings her a great deal of joy.


In this passage of Scripture, Mary comes to spend some time with Elizabeth. Her life is all topsy-turvy and she is still full of wonder at the whole idea that God could reside in her womb. Perhaps she wondered if she had imagined it all. Perhaps she questioned her sanity. I don’t know but God gave her a beautiful acknowledgment of the special bundle of Joy she carried when John leapt in his mother’s womb when Mary came into the room. I love that.


I am not carrying the Christ Child in my womb but what if others could be filled with joy because the presence of Christ was so very real in my life? What if it were so tangible it made others feel simply delighted to be near me because in being near me they felt near to God? I have met a few people like that, haven’t you? Right within our church are some prayer warriors who when I speak to them I can see that they have been spending a great deal of time in the presence of God. I want to be like that. I want others to be like John the Baptist was that day and it wasn’t because someone told him or that he had watched others do it…when he was in the presence of Christ he simply could not contain his joy.


Joy to the world! The Lord has come!

Joy to the Heart

Joy to the Heart

Joy - Week three - Friday

“The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb.” Psalm 19:7-10



Ever wonder what a precept is? What are these precepts that give joy to the heart. The dictionary says that a precept is a principle that guides someone’s actions. Because of my work as an applied behavior therapist, I understand this concept very well. I frequently lay out principles to guide a child’s behavior. A great example is communication. A child with autism may not have any words and I come in and demand that they communicate their wants and needs…that if they want that train they are going to have to sign or talk or show me a picture to ask for it. They may weep and wail and gnash their teeth but in the end they get it and then suddenly they realize this is pretty cool because they can tell people what they want and need and they understand and they actually get it. And it doesn’t just bring them joy…those around them find great joy from these principles that are being followed. That is how God’s precepts are at times. We may argue with Him and fight with Him and then we resign to His ways and find that it was the right way all along and we were silly to battle Him. We find joy in following His precepts. Learn to trust His heart and His precepts and find the joy that comes from obedience.


Discussion Question


What does joy look like to you? What does it feel like? How do others know when you are experiencing joy?


Family Activity


Why not make some joyful luminaries to line your sidewalk or driveway? Using some paper lunch sacks, cut out designs on each side. You can have small children draw designs in yellow and older children or adults can cut out the designs. Put about an inch of sand in each one and set them along the sidewalk or driveway. Add a small votive cup and candle and light them. Add some sand or dry beans to the bottom to keep them upright. Be creative in how you can share the real joy of Christmas through this decoration.

Sing for Joy!

Sing For Joy!

Week 3 - Joy - Thursday

“But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you. For surely, O Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.”
Psalm 5:11-12

Do you long for the protection of the Lord? We all do at times. We all have times when we wonder if the favor of the Lord is on us…if He really notices that we are having a hard time. What if God isn’t seeing the problems I am facing? We have probably all had times when we have thought He might have forgotten about us. Our verse tells us clearly that we should take refuge in Him and find joy and gladness. It tells us that when we live righteously God surrounds us with His favor just like a shield. Are you a worrier? Do you wonder if God can ever give you back your joy? Do you face mountains of debt or broken relationships or other difficulties that cause you to question God? Take refuge in Him. He is not surprised by the things you are facing. Let Him handle them and you find joy in the giving of it all to Him.

Discussion Question

Who are people that protect you? Police officers, firemen, etc. Think about how they protect us. Compare and contrast that with the way God can protect us.

Family Activity

Our verse says to “ever let them sing for joy”. Gather the family and any others who may want to join you and go out for a night of old-fashioned caroling. Find some older folks who may miss the old tradition and spend some time introducing it to some families who may have never had carolers come to their door.

Turning Joy to Praise

Turning Joy to Praise

Joy - Week Three - Wednesday

‘He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms. Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”

When He had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, He lifted up His hands and blessed them. While He was blessing them, He left them and was taken up into heaven. Then they worshiped Him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.’

Luke 24:44-53

Again Jesus was reminding them of all the things they had heard from Him. It says that He opened their minds so that they could receive and understand the Scripture. He reminded them they were witnesses of these prophecies being fulfilled. Then He took them outside of the city and He raised His hands up and blessed them. While He was still blessing them He ascended up to heaven with His hands still raised. Think about that picture for a moment. To say a blessing over someone was something special. They are looking at the risen Christ. They probably have barely left His side since they found He had arisen. I imagine they are basking in this special blessing that is for them. Then He is taken up from them. They could have experienced grief all over again. Instead, they are filled with great joy and they worshipped and praised Him. There is no grief here. Talk about your praise and worship service! Their joy led them to worship and to praise Him….continually….at the Temple. They didn’t worry about the leg of lamb in the crock pot or the afternoon game. They couldn’t stop praising God and worshiping.

There have been times like that in my life. Times when my joy was so full that I could not stop praising my God and times when services went exceedingly long but no one noticed because the joy in God’s house had led to so much praise and worship no one was ready to stop. But in my daily life I tend to worry about what I left simmering at home and the daily things I had planned. I often am filled with joy but forget to take time to praise the Joygiver. I, for one, am going to pay attention more. I am going to turn my joy into praise to the One who makes my heart joyful. I am going to worship both privately and corporately in a way that demonstrates that He has given me great joy. How about you?

Family Activity

We all have moments of great joy…moments when we especially feel the presence of God in our lives. For me these include my salvation, a moment I spent alone with God in General Butler State Park in Kentucky when I was about 17, the day I joined my life with my husband’s, the birth of my child, her salvation, the beginning of Stone Soup at Faith and so many more. These were times my heart was so full I could barely put words to it but my heart was in constant praise to my God. Consider, having a special tree to put ornaments that are a reminder of these significant times in your life where you felt God’s hand moving and you were filled with great joy. It might have been a mission trip or someone for whom you had prayed for many years coming to know Christ. Think of a token of that moment….something to represent it and make an ornament to go on this special tree. Every year your family may add to the tree and it will come to be a special representation of God’s hand in your life and what moments filled you with joy unspeakable.