Ecclesiastes‬ ‭4‬:‭6‬ ‭ESV‬‬ — Better is a handful of quietness than two hands full of toil and a striving after wind.

This week I have been sharing Christmas in July. The Hebrew word for vanity is “hevel,” which means “vapor or smoke.” The writer of Ecclesiastes is telling us that everything is temporary and gives some good wisdom on vanity and what is considered striving after wind. The writer also talks a lot about time. Everything we create and strive for will eventually die away but the mountains and oceans will still remain.

In both ragged schedules and time of rest, we depend on God to help get us from point A to point B. We must never forget to look to God first. The one who created the mountains can also move mountains. The one who moves mountains also wants to sit and rest with us. Nothing is too big or too small for our God.

Let’s not waste time striving for perfection but strive to live in the present. Jesus was born in a stable and the three wise men brought gifts that were not wrapped. How do you live a life in the midst of Hevel? In the Bible Project, Tim Mackie says: “accept that all of life is out of your control.”

Let’s pray. Dear God, I desire to sit and rest with You. Help me to live in the moment and not strive for perfection. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

Bonus: In reading the Bible Recap, with every chapter comes an animated drawing. I encourage you to watch the Bible Project on Ecclesiastes. 

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1Peter 4:10 NIV — As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

This week, I have been sharing Christmas in July. My word for 2020: Gifts. I believed it to take on different meanings with different scriptures throughout the year. 

I want you to imagine a beautiful box with a special gift inside. Now I want you to imagine God presenting this beautiful box as His special gift to you. Can you feel the anticipation begin to arise? Before you open the box, I want you to imagine how this gift was handpicked, specifically for you. Now I want you to think about your reaction. Keep in mind, God already knows how you will respond to this special gift. Do you think you will have a receiving heart or a rejecting heart?

I want you to recall your favorite gift you received as a child. You were probably overjoyed with excitement and could not wait to use it. Now I want you to think about a gift you received as a child that was not what you wanted. You were probably ungrateful with a crushed spirit and could not wait to see if you could exchange it. Again, God knows what we will do with our special gifts. Do you think you will nurture that gift, or will you forsake it? 

Jesus was not the traditional gift that you unwrap and celebrate. His gift did not come wrapped in ribbon and bows but rather swaddling clothes. Our gifts may come disguised just like baby Jesus. It may take years of beautifully wrapped gifts for us to identify them. Over the years our gifts may change, or it may be that we change. God sees our potential through our gifts before the seeds are ever planted in our hearts. Will you make room in your heart for those planted seeds to grow or will we starve them? Our gift back to Jesus is what we do with our planted seeds.

Let’s pray. Dear God, thank You for the gifts You have given me. Equip me to do Your good and pleasing works. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen.

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1 Kings‬ ‭8‬:‭27‬, 29 ‭NIV‬‬ — But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built! ‭‭May your eyes be open toward this temple night and day, this place of which you said, ‘My Name shall be there,’ so that you will hear the prayer your servant prays toward this place.

‭‭We can’t put God in a box. Today’s reading is a beautiful reminder of that. As King Solomon fulfilled the promise to David, he built a Temple for the Lord. He realized that God is much bigger. We know that God does not dwell inside the temple because the writer says: “May your eyes be open toward this temple night and day.”

This week, I have been sharing Christmas in July. How can we repeatedly put God in a box when He chose someone like Mary to bring Jesus, our Savior, into the world? Thankfully we see miracles and have God’s word to show God is higher than the heavens.

Have you recently put God in a box? I encourage you to listen to Mary Did You Know? by Pentatonix.

Let’s pray. Dear God, thank You for Your word and the miracles You perform. Open my eyes to see Your Glory. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

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This week, I will be sharing about Christmas in July. Take time today to meditate on this week’s scripture verses.

1 Kings‬ ‭8‬:‭27‬, 29 ‭NIV‬‬ — But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built! ‭‭May your eyes be open toward this temple night and day, this place of which you said, ‘My Name shall be there,’ so that you will hear the prayer your servant prays toward this place.

1 Peter 4:10 NIV — As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

Ecclesiastes‬ ‭4‬:‭6‬ ‭ESV‬‬ — Better is a handful of quietness than two hands full of toil and a striving after wind.

‭‭James‬ ‭4‬:‭10‬ ‭NIV‬‬ — Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

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This week, I will be sharing about Christmas in July. My word for 2018 was “Rejoice.” 

Rejoice. A reminder to carry the Christmas spirit 365 days a year. What better way to do this but to meditate on:

1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5‬:‭16‬-‭18‬ ‭NIV‬‬ — Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Let’s worship with some fun Christmas songs:

I’ve Heard About You by Crowder.

Mele Kalikimaka by Jimmy Buffett

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Instead of our usual “See You Saturday” post and video, Julie and I thought we would share with you moments from the week that we have savored. Merriam-Webster defines savor as the taste or smell of something. Savor also means to delight in or enjoy. So today, I will share something from this week that takes on both meanings of savor.

I love tomatoes! 

Over the last several years I have taken delight in growing my own tomatoes. My favorite variety is an heirloom tomato named Purple Heart. I enjoy the bite size of the Sungold tomato which is a hybrid Cherry tomato. This year a friend gave me a Juliet tomato plant which I had never grown before. The Juliet plant is a rare hybrid of a Roma and Plum tomato. I have enjoyed eating them on salads, with my eggs at breakfast, or just as a snack. As much as I have enjoyed this tomato variety, I was surprised by the vast amount of tomatoes it has produced and continues to produce. For the last couple weeks, everyone who visited our home left with a ziplock bag of tomatoes. This week, in an effort to not let my harvest go to waste, I searched the internet and found a recipe for homemade tomato sauce made with Juliet tomatoes. Yesterday I sliced tomatoes, minced garlic, chopped onions and fresh basil to prepare the tomatoes to roast for 2 ½ hours. As the tomatoes roasted, my house was filled with the most delicious smells. The smell gave me joy as I relished the thought that I had grown and prepared the soon to be sauce on my own. Then I transferred them to the food processor to finish the process. My roasted tomatoes did not create a great deal of juice so the result is more of a concentrated paste that I will use as a base for homemade spaghetti sauce. I will use my homemade Juliet tomato paste and home-grown Purple Heart tomatoes to make a version of my mom’s spaghetti sauce. What a blessing to share with my family who don’t like fresh tomatoes but love spaghetti!

What did you savor this week? Maybe you haven’t thought about it, but going forward we hope you will be mindful each day of the moments you savor. Enjoy each moment and find joy in your journey. Even the valleys of life grow flowers to be relished. This week, even in the valley, I relished tomatoes!

1 Corinthians 10:31 NIV — So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 

Here’s the recipe I used.

Slow Roasted Tomato Sauce

James 1:2-4 NIV — Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

As I reflect on all the times Uncle Archie reminded me as a young child to have patience and perseverance, I now realize he was being a Christian witness for me. Although I cannot be certain, I feel he probably learned the lesson of patience and perseverance over the years when he was bearing trials of his own. 

As we finish our week on patience and perseverance, take a few moments to read The Impatient Farmer and Shake It Off & Step Up!

Let’s pray. Dear Father, thank You for reminding me, even when I don’t want to be reminded, to have patience and perseverance. Give me strength and courage to let go and trust in You. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

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