In 2019 my word of the year was influence. We all been influenced and we all influence others. Today I encourage you to meditate on this verse from Eph 2:10 NIV; “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

As you meditate on being God’s handiwork, ask God what your influence needs to be for 2022. Maybe there is an area of service at church or a new job at work. Maybe that influence is within your home. If you are planning on adopting a word or mantra for the year, I encourage you to write down those areas of influence. Can you think of a word that will challenge you and help you to grow?

A Mantra can also by a saying. When you adopt a word of the year, be prepared for Satan to attack you in that area. In 2019 my Mantra came from Toby Mac; “Never speak words that allow the enemy to think his is winning”. Don’t worry, stand firm because God’s got your back.

Look at this photo by Ray White and how he transformed it to be more vibrant. On this Transformation Tips Tuesday, go shine your light and be a vibrant Godly influence. Remember you are God’s handiwork and His masterpiece!!

Yesterday we had our Church’s Christmas Contada. It was a beautiful service that ended with Holy Communion. Deborah’s husband Clark plays the organ. At the start of communion he played the song; Mary Did You Know? Because of where our Christmas tree is placed, you can’t physically see Clark this time of year. He was certainly making a joyful noise with his service; “Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” Ps 100:2‬ ‭NIV‬‬

That song and the practice of Holy Communion got me thinking about our Mindset. The song opens up with; “Mary did you know that your baby boy would one day walk on water?” It poses many questions following that one. If we knew the impact we were creating through our service, through our actions, and our reactions would we carry a better mindset?

The theory of the Butterfly Effect is that small things can have big impact. Everything we do is a ripple effect. The next question posed in the song is; “Mary did you know that your baby boy will save our sons and daughters?”. God’s great gift of salvation to us is meant to be shared with the world. What ripple effect are we making with a closed mindset?

Let’s be mindful today on the impact we are creating and the mindset we are carrying throughout our day. If you look on the TV screen pictures below it reads; “Eternal God, we give thanks for this holy mystery”. Make sure to give our God Thanks today for all his great mysteries.

Mary Did You Know? By Pentatonix.

Clark starts playing the song at minute 57; Herbert Memorial UMC Live Stream

There are times when I run that I ask the Lord to get me to the next street light. They not only light my path but they help me to keep going forward. There are times when I run and my legs are heavy that I ask the Lord to carry me street light to street light.

On this Spiritual Sunday as we go to our places of worship, let’s surrender to the Lord’s embrace. As we read in Isaiah‬ ‭46:3-4‬ ‭MSG‬, He has always carried us even when we didn’t ask. Maybe you feel you can do it on your own. Maybe you feel like you’ve asked the Lord to carry you but you don’t feel His presence. Just like the Foot Prints in the sand poem, the Lord is always there to carry us. Maybe the Lord is wanting you to ask. He desires a relationship with us as our Heavenly Father.

““Listen to me, family of Jacob, everyone that’s left of the family of Israel. I’ve been carrying you on my back from the day you were born, And I’ll keep on carrying you when you’re old. I’ll be there, bearing you when you’re old and gray. I’ve done it and will keep on doing it, carrying you on my back, saving you.”

Will you go to His alter today and ask him to carry you to through the next task, the next night, the next week? Will you surrender to His embrace? Will you nurture that spiritual relationship with your Heavenly Father?

I encourage you to look up the Foot Prints in the Sand poem and read it.

Today is Finish Friday! How are you finishing up this work week? Are you going to drag through your day or are you going to follow the advice of Kate Spade and “leave a little sparkle wherever you go”? Sometimes it’s hard by Friday to still be shining but we know as Christians we do not need to rely on our own strength.

“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭73:26‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Today when your sparkle is running low, think of this beautiful sunrise captured by Ray White and remember:

“This is the day which the LORD hath made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭118:24‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Then put a smile on your face and sparkle on!

P.S. Men can scatter sparkle too! Just shine the light of Christ!

I love manger scenes. Pictured are just a few of mine. I even have one that I leave out all year. After all, a manger scene is a visual reminder of the love of God.

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
‭‭John‬ ‭1:14‬ ‭NIV‬‬

As a little girl, the first scripture I memorized was John 3:16. It is the crux of the Christian faith. However, for years I don’t think I ever really read the verses following John 3:16.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.”
‭‭John‬ ‭3:16-21‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Bottom line…Jesus Christ was sent to the world to save us from our sins. Believe in Jesus and have eternal life. Often we get stuck in our sins and forget the hope of Christ. On this Thankful Thursday let us remember our belief in the Son of God. Thankful Thursday is all about showing thankfulness through action. Let’s show our thankfulness by embracing Christ’s sacrificial love and not stew in our sins. We are never to far from the love of God. Today, find a way to reach out to an unbeliever. Share a scripture or share a song with them. Do a kind deed and leave a message of hope for them. Be the hands and feet of Christ.

Begin your day by listening to this song by Casting Crowns and be reminded God hears you. Somewhere In Your Silent Night

“‘Tis the season to be jolly, FA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA!”

Who just sang that in their head as they read? My real question for you today is who believes that in their heart? Does this season fill you with joy? Or are you feeling overwhelmed, anxious or sad?

The season of Christmas conjures up various feelings in us. Depending on our background experiences or current circumstances, each of us may be feeling less than joyful. Today is Water walking Wednesday. Being a water walker often means doing the opposite of how you feel because of your faith in Jesus Christ. Today I challenge you to be joyful, despite your background experiences or current circumstances. Today I encourage you to put yourself in Mary’s shoes for a moment. Read Luke 1:26-38 when the angel visited Mary. Consider the social ramifications of her situation. Imagine all the feelings she may have been feeling. Yet, Mary chose joy. Her joy was found in her faith, not in her circumstances.

“And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors.””
‭‭Luke‬ ‭1:46-55‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Today I challenge you to walk on water and choose joy. Despite your current circumstances , may you choose joy that is found in your faith. If you are feeling less than joyful, may you walk on water and choose joy anyway!

***Note: I realize the holiday season can be less than joyful for those who have lost loved ones. Join our Pastor Charles Wilbanks on December 13th at 6:00 for “Facing the holidays-managing expectations-facing the challenges.” This will be a program about grief and the holidays.