Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Lazy Days
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Mary's Prayer
GOD. O infant-God. Heaven’s fairest child. Conceived by the union of divine grace with
our disgrace. Sleep well.
Sleep well. Bask in the coolness of this night bright with diamonds. Sleep well, for the
heat of anger simmers nearby. Enjoy the silence of the crib, for the noise of confusion rumbles in
your future. Savor the sweet safety of my arms, for a day is soon coming when I cannot protect
you.
Rest well, tiny hands. For though you belong to a king, you will touch no satin, own no
gold. You will grasp no pen, guide no brush. No, your tiny hands are reserved for works more
precious:
to touch a leper’s open wound,
to wipe a widow’s weary tear,
to claw the ground of Gethsemane.
Your hands, so tiny, so white—clutched tonight in an infant’s fist. They aren’t destined to
hold a scepter nor wave from a palace balcony. They are reserved instead for a Roman spike that
will staple them to a Roman cross.
Sleep deeply, tiny eyes. Sleep while you can. For soon the blurriness will clear and you
will see the mess we have made of your world.
You will see our nakedness, for we cannot hide.
You will see our selfishness, for we cannot give.
You will see our pain, for we cannot heal.
O eyes that will see hell’s darkest pit and witness her ugly prince . . . sleep, please sleep;
sleep while you can.
Lie still, tiny mouth. Lie still, mouth from which eternity will speak.
Tiny tongue that will soon summon the dead, that will define grace, that will silence our
foolishness.
Rosebud lips—upon which ride a starborn kiss of forgiveness to those who believe you,
and of death to those who deny you—lie still.
And tiny feet cupped in the palm of my hand, rest. For many difficult steps lie ahead for
you.
Do you taste the dust of the trails you will travel?
Do you feel the cold seawater upon which you will walk?
Do you wrench at the invasion of the nail you will bear?
Do you fear the steep descent down the spiral staircase into Satan’s domain?
Rest, tiny feet. Rest today so that tomorrow you might walk with power. Rest. For
millions will follow in your steps.
And little heart . . . holy heart . . . pumping the blood of life through the universe: How
many times will we break you?
You’ll be torn by the thorns of our accusations.
You’ll be ravaged by the cancer of our sin.
You’ll be crushed under the weight of your own sorrow.
And you’ll be pierced by the spear of our rejection.
Yet in that piercing, in that ultimate ripping of muscle and membrane, in that final rush of
blood and water, you will find rest. Your hands will be freed, your eyes will see justice, your lips
will smile, and your feet will carry you home.
And there you’ll rest again this time in the embrace of your Father.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Time Spent
Monday, December 21, 2009
Vacation
Today is the first day of my two week vacation. I am very excited for the time off and the rest that hopefully I will experience. I think that we can all say that we look forward to vacation time. Whether we are going somewhere or just staying at home, there is always excitement leading up to the days of vacation. There is another type of vacation that we can experience each and every day. This vacation comes with the promise that our savior offers us; 28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”(Matthew 11:28-30). Most of the time this is the exact reason that we take a vacation we are tired, stressed and wore out from life itself. Even though a vacation or two a year is very nice and lots of fun, is it not wonderful to know that the stresses of everyday, the exhaustion of the long work week and the weariness that it brings can be lifted from us in just a moment. All we have to do is come to Him. When was the last time you took a vacation in the savior’s arms?
Saturday, December 19, 2009
The gift of life
Friday, December 18, 2009
The Dark
There are many nights when I hear the infamous cry of my daughter. She wakes up crying scared and alone, a pretty scary place to be. Think about the dark for a minute, the dark is cold, it secludes you, and it is well dark you cannot see and you get that feeling of being lost. This is scary even to an adult, it is also easy for me to remember when I was a child and I would wake up in the dark of night and be scared. I would begin to call for my Dad and would usually continue until he or my mother would arrive. Just the same way my daughter does when I arrive, she stops cry and wraps her arms around me and holds on tight. At the very minute that I pick her up she knows that she is safe and no harm can come to her. Although there is no real danger in our home the dark and the noises of the silence keep a young child's imagination running. However there are many of us adults that are wondering around in the dark afraid and very alone. We are screaming and searching but we are not able to see any light near or far, we are lost. We find something that gives us a minute of security but soon find out that it is a false security and once again we are scared and searching. We as Christians do this often search for things to fill us and make us feel better. Sometimes we even hurt others in our search for our light and happiness. How often we forget that God sent a light into the world. All we have to do is call out Daddy and he comes for us. He lifts us up in his arms and holds us tight, wipes away all our tears and calms our fears. The world is a dark and lonely place but it does not have to be all we have to do is call out His name and the light will shine. 12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who jfollows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."(John 8:12)
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Random Acts
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Unexpected Love
There are times in life when we all experience an overpowering of love. This comes in many forms and in many ways. Sometimes it comes as a gift other times it comes as a touch or a phone call. They also seem to be awe moments in life. For instance, take something simple like a grand view of snow topped mountains or those miles of green fields with the coming of the morning sun causing the dew to glisten. You think to yourself wow; that is so beautiful. You want to know something better? It was made just for you! God painted the skies, the land and even the little spots on the lady bug just for you to enjoy and to see you smile. He spent all that time creating to show you how much he loves you. Unexpected; that is the very thing God specializes in when showing His love. Think for a moment about the point in time that God decided to show the world how much He loved them all. The world was in dire need of God's love. Israel was hurting and suffering, Rome was expanding their empire and tyranny, and a king so feared the loss of his throne to a new king that he had babies killed. The world was hurting and God was saying I love you and let me show you how much I do love the world. The gift; a child born wrapped in death clothes and put in a feeding troth, here the King of the Universe here on Earth. The problem with all this love God was giving? Much the same as it is today, just as many on that divine night missed the birth announcement that had been made years before and was written in the heavens, so we miss the love God has for us. I am not just talking about missing Jesus, although that is a great loss if you do miss the savior. I am talking about missing God's love. He shows this to you every day as all of creation announces his divine glory. However there are moments when he reaches out a touches you with His love and in that moment it is all for you. Has life become too much for you to bear? Get ready because God is about to show you His love and it is all just for you. Jesus tells us just how much God loves us here in this verse, Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds? (Luke 12:24).
Hello
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
The Sick
Saturday, December 5, 2009
I'm Human too
Have a great weekend everyone! I will see you again on Monday.
Friday, December 4, 2009
I'm Thirsty!
Now there is a line that I have heard and said many times. The next question is usually, what do you want? I usually have to go through a nice little song and dance routine with my daughter when she says "I'm thirsty." She never knows what she really wants, while all the time I know exactly what she needs. The problem is showing her that what I am presenting her is what she really wants. Does this sound familiar? I bet it does. We come to God and say Father I really need some help can you come with me and help. Is it not funny how somehow or another we end up treating Him much the same way my daughter treats me when she is thirsty. God says hey you told me you needed my help and I am here to help you. What we fail to realize is that He also knows what is best for us too. He knows how to fill our thirst. The Psalmist tell us in (Psalm 23:5)You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil;My cup runs over. In (John 4:13)13 Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” Time and time again God knows just what we need, but for some reason we keep refusing what he offers. God loves to hear us say "I'm Thirsty", this is how He wants us to come to Him, thirsting for Him.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
What Law?
Now how many times have you felt like this? I tell you any emotional attempt to measure yourself is an ill conceived human emotion. The scripture is clear on how we are to get close to God. Through Jesus, that is it you are not going to get any closer. Please do not confuse what I am saying with you are able to do what you want. No we are to be imitators of Jesus, not imitators of a law that He has removed. If you try and measure yourself by the law or what you do, you will always keep coming up short. Live under the new covenant with Jesus and enjoy the new with the Holy Spirit and God's grace. Jesus says in John 10:10 (I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.)
Want to talk to me more about this e-mail me. fantomboo@hughes.net
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
The Gift.
I can remember as a child getting lots of wonderful gifts for Christmas. Oh I got all kinds of things, remote control cars, action figures, cd players, a TV and cloths. But if you were to ask me what the best gift I ever got for Christmas was. I would have to say time. Oh, I did not know that it was the nest gift I was receiving then as a child. I was like any other child "show me the toys!" Looking back though, it was the time; the time that someone took of themselves to give to me, to think enough of me to give of themselves. You might say well your parents have to give you Christmas gift. Do they? No, I can remember my mother doing extra things just so we would have just a little for Christmas. Again, time spent on me. I could see my grandfather every holiday making time to talk to each member of the family. Such wonderful memories made with others time. It is the same for God; He took the time to cross the vast distance from heaven to earth. Just so he could have time with you. Make time for someone this Christmas, you do not have to buy them a gift or lavish them with things. All they really want is a little of your time. Give that someone you have not talk to in a while a call. Take a friend to lunch. Find a needy family or child and meet there need as you can. Maybe it is that you need to spend some time with the creator and rest in His loving arms. I promise you that giving a little of your so called busy time, that you will not be disappointed.