What Did You Expect?

By Jarrod Spencer –

My wife is very expressive. It is one of her great traits. I am not so expressive. It is one of my…traits. We tend to joke about this area from time to time because we are very different. Luckily, our son is more like his mommy in this area.

Since I tend to not be as expressive, I hate to open gifts in front of people. I love to receive them, but do not like to open them in front of people. The main reason is that I’ve been known to be very unexpressive when I open something that maybe wasn’t what I wanted or expected.

I can’t help but wonder if the people of Jesus’ day were much like I am about gifts? Their ancestors had passed down the prophecy to them. It was always a waiting game. “Could it be this year?” At the time of Jesus’ birth, they had experienced about 400 years of no contact from God. The time between the two Testaments, God had not sent prophets to shape up the people. So, very few even knew that the time of a Messiah being born was a possibility, especially, those outside the Jewish faith.

However, once He did come on the scene, how many people questioned it. “A child born in Bethlehem? In a manger? From a peasant family? I don’t think so.” Joseph wasn’t the Rockefeller of his day, nor was he a Heisman winner. He was from a common family. Mary—she was no princess, by heritage. She wasn’t a former Miss Israel. A commoner.

Jesus came in common form, to common folks, for a common purpose. He may not have come in a form they expected. They may have gruffed at the fact He arrived the way He did, to whom He did. Regardless, Jesus was the gift we needed, even if it didn’t seem so in the beginning. Jesus was the expected Savior, but in different form. May we praise God for the things we’re given which we didn’t expect!

PRAYER: Father, You are an expert in giving us what we need and when we need it. I love that about You. May we appreciate what comes our way from You, even in the moments of our lives we didn’t expect what you provided. May we understand what comes from You is beneficial for our lives. Thank You for giving us the unexpected!

“Truly I tell you,” he continued, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown” (Luke 4:24 ESV).

Today’s devotional is by Jarrod Spencer. He is a seeker of God’s surprises in everyday life, looking for ways to be used by God with anyone he comes in contact with. He has a passion for encouraging people through the written word and exercises that passion with blogging and sending out a weekly text of encouragement. You can read more of his writings at http://jarrodspencer.blogspot.com and his church’s website is http://www.colbychurch.com.

May Your Days Be Merry and Bright

By Aubrey Spencer –

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! We are all moved in and settled in our new home in Kansas, just in time for my favorite holiday. I love the lights, the music, the decorations, the traditions, the cheer, the excitement and, of course, Santa! I’m telling you, moving around this time of the year has been a great motivator for me. In just two weeks time, I’ve completely unpacked, decked the house out for Christmas and am ready to host our annual Holiday Open House on Sunday.

You see, if it weren’t for my love of all things Christmas and my clouded vision that comes from the joy of this season, I would be staring at a number of things that aren’t so festive. Like the fact that we had a leak from the hot water heater that flooded our basement last week. Or how running the washing machine made the shower drain overflow Monday night, causing the basement to flood again. Or dealing with fussy Oliver, who’s getting more teeth, has his first cold and hasn’t been so jolly the last week, to say the least. Or possibly, the fact that our living situation is temporary because we’re renting a house still up for sale while waiting for our own home to sell back in Illinois. Our charming house is tiny, and half of our belongings are still packed, stored in the garage because our furniture won’t all fit. Compounding all these frustrations, in just one week’s time, we lost the house keys once, locked ourselves out of the house once and locked the office keys inside the office. Crazy, huh?

It would be so easy for me to become the Grinch if I focused on all that craziness. But, I’m thinking of better things: twinkling lights, mistletoe, Christmas carols, joy, friendship, and laughter.

Truth is, it’s easy not to be bah hum bug during the holidays. The real work begins when problems arise and there are no silver bells to distract me. It is in those moments that I must remember what Scripture tells me—dwell on things above. With that focus, my days will be merry and bright, through the holidays and beyond.

PRAYER: Father, I pray that You will help me focus on You and all Your blessings instead of the troubles and difficulties that come my way. Help me to see situations through Your eyes and to fill myself with Your goodness.

“…Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things” (Philippians 4:8 NIV).

Today’s devotional is by Aubrey Spencer. Aubrey is a real housewife of northwest Kansas. She is a minister’s wife and a mom to two little miracles, Oliver and Ava. She has a passion for writing and entertaining but realizes her greatest ministry at the moment is to raise her children to be people after God’s own heart. She loves to see how God shows up in everyday situations. Read more of her writings at http://ministrymama.blogspot.com.

The Stockings Were Hung

By Carin LeRoy –

As a little girl, my favorite Christmas tradition in our house was the stockings. My Mom made the whole family stockings decorated with different holiday-themed objects sewing on sequins, beads and putting our name on each one. Every December, she would hang them on our staircase. Each year I would anticipate the little gifts I’d find in it. I loved getting up early on Christmas morning and looking in my stocking. We’d find several little treasures hidden inside.

When I got married my Mom gave my Christmas stocking to me. I decided I wanted to carry on the tradition in our family and began to make my own husband and children a green felt stocking, complete with holiday-themed figures. I sewed on sequins and beads and wrote their name in glitter on each of their stockings, just like my Mom did. Even when we lived overseas, I still carried those stockings with me. Although I was thousands of miles across the ocean, those stockings still reminded me of home.

When my daughter married, she took hers and now carries on the same tradition. The only difference is that I’m sewing the stockings for her family. Every time she has a child, she wants me to create another green felt stocking. Three generations in my family have grown up with homemade stockings lovingly made by someone in the family.

As we move into this Christmas season, let’s remember some of the traditions that we’ve grown up with and share them with our children and grandchildren. Christmas isn’t all about the gifts, the busyness or the decorations. It’s about family, tradition and the birth of a Savior. Let’s remember the reason we celebrate in the first place—the miracle of the birth of Jesus and the reason He came to earth.

PRAYER: Lord, thank You for this Christmas season. Help us to enjoy our family and traditions, but remember that the birth of Your son is the reason we celebrate.

“She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1: 21 NIV).

Today’s devotional is by Carin LeRoy, wife to Dale and mother of three grown children and one almost-grown teenager. She has been a missionary with Pioneers since 1982. Her passions are family, missions, piano, and writing to challenge others to live faithful lives for God.

Everything the Light Touches

By Marty Norman –

John 1:8 “He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.” NIV

Six a.m. is not my best time of day.

At that hour I am barely awake, much less able to think or talk. This was my condition on October 30, 2010 when I turned on the DVD from my king size bed to watch “The Lion King” with my four-year-old grandson.

Suddenly I was jolted awake. A magnificent scene not only in the natural but in the spiritual was playing out before me. I didn’t want to miss a word as the voice of God spoke to my heart at the dawning of the day.

In the scene, Simba, the rambunctious lion cub and future king of the Pride Lands was held up by his father, Mufasa, the King and ruler of Pride Rock. In the spirit of all fathers, as the sun made its appearance over the horizon, he wanted to show his son the importance of his position in the kingdom. Using the natural to make his point, he slowly spun the lion cub in a 180 degree arc and majestically exclaimed, “Everything the light touches is your kingdom.”

Spiritually my heart quickened. My first thought was of Abraham and God’s covenant that everywhere his foot touched was holy ground given to the covenanted people. Then I thought of Jesus and his light and his kingdom, that everywhere he walked was life, the light of man. I turned to the Bible and read John I again, his beautiful description of who is and who is not the light.

As we approach this holiday season, first in Advent and then the celebration of Christmas, let us not forget about who is and is not the true light of the world. Like Mufasa, we are kings and rulers of our own Pride Rock. We are not the light; we have only come to bear witness to the light. But also like Mufasa, we have the opportunity, at the dawning of the day, to tell the world about the importance and vastness of the king and his kingdom.

What better time than at Christmas when the whole world, whether they know it or not, is celebrating the birth of Christ. Who better to tell them than us for Jesus came into the world 2000 years ago for us and for our salvation?  And the scripture promises that he will come again.

We, like John the Baptist are to bear witness to him and to his light. We are to be as Simeon who declared, “For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.” Luke 2:30-31 (NIV)

We have a two-fold commission. Like John the Baptist we are to prepare, and like Simeon we are to declare the good news. The light was and is and will be coming again into the world. We are to be clear about what is and is not his kingdom. We are to be clear about who and what Jesus is, witnesses that speak forth at the beginning of day and to all whom God places before us.

Make no mistake. The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Everywhere Jesus walked then and now, everywhere he is and will be, everything he touches and will touch is the kingdom of heaven. He is the light – everything the light touches is his kingdom.

What a great message for grandmothers. The season and Word make it even clearer. We’ve lived and we know. Like Simeon, we are not only believers but also ones waiting for the consolation of Israel, we can proclaim our testimonies: “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation.” Luke 1:29 NIV.

As the sun rises this Christmas season, let us not tarry, but rather lift those we love high to preview the world in a 180 degree arc. Let us proclaim with joy, “Everything the light touches, is his kingdom.”

May the light of the Lord and Savior of the World touch you and yours this holiday season above and beyond anything you can dream or imagine.

Marty Norman is a wife, mother, and grandmother of five, who lives in Fort Worth, Texas.  She is the author of “Generation G – Advice for Savvy Grandmothers Who Will Never Go Gray.” You can learn more about her at:   www.martynorman.com, http://martynorman.blogspot.com, http://savvygrandmothers.blogspot.com.

No Room in the Inn

By Kathy Carlton Willis –

The innkeeper’s phrase “no room” took on an extra meaning one Christmas when we lived in a tiny 4-room rental. Since humor helps with coping, I focused on the benefits of “no room.”

Top 10 Ways To Know You Live In A Small House

10) A bottle of Windex will last five years.

9) You can hear the radio from every room, loud and clear.

8) The entire home is carpeted from just two carpet remnants.

7) There are more belongings in storage than inside the house.

6) The most spacious room to set up the ironing board is in the bathroom.

5) You can answer the phone by the second ring from anywhere in the house.

4) The saying about not having “a pot to pee in” is only one pot away from being a true statement!

3) You have to step outside to have enough room to change your mind.

2) You can vacuum the entire house from one electrical outlet.

1) The refrigerator light illuminates the entire house!

Even though we felt like we had no room, our home would have had more than enough space to meet the needs of Mary and Joseph that fateful Christmas. I can’t even imagine how uncaring the innkeeper must have been to not try harder to find better accommodations for a woman “great with child.” But rather than turning them away, the innkeeper gave them his leftover space. I wonder how often we are guilty of only giving Christ the leftovers of our lives? The time left after everything else. The money left after our bill-paying and spending sprees.

I heard of a children’s Christmas play that didn’t go quite as written. When the little boy playing the innkeeper saw Mary and Joseph standing pitifully at his door, he paused before saying, “there is no room in the inn.” Just when the director was about to give him his lines, you could hear the little innkeeper plainly say, “You can come stay at my house.” While this drastically changed the ending of the play, the message rang out loud and clear. We can learn a lot from this child!

AUTHOR QUOTE: Where will Jesus be this Christmas? Will He be relegated to a lowly manger, or placed in our most prized spot? No room? Make room!

“And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn” (Luke 2:7 NKJV).

Today’s devotional is by Kathy Carlton Willis, Christ-servant, wife to Russ, editor, publicist, certified CLASSeminars speaker and faculty member. Kathy Carlton Willis Communications encompasses her many passions. Kathy’s tagline captures her essence—Light & Lively: His Reflection/Her Laughter. Schedule Kathy for a speaking event or contact her firm for promotional assistance. KCWC gets jazzed shining the light on God’s writers and speakers.

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