Revolutions of Resolutions

By Robin J. Steinweg –

January First circles around like a shark figure on a planet-sized carousel. The brass ring eludes me. Twenty-seven New Year’s Day journal entries reveal my redundant resolution: this is the year I conquer my arch-enemy, Paper Clutter. Twenty-seven years I have reached for but missed this particular brass ring.

You might call me an expert on organizing. After all, experts say it takes 10,000 hours of studying/working at something to become an expert (and they should know). This translates to about three hours a day for ten years. I have more than paid my dues. I’ve read a score of articles and dozens of books on the subject—some of them three and four times. Nearly twenty of these hibernate on my shelves. I even took notes. They are clearly labeled and stored in folders among random Tower-of-Pisa stacks. I could quote statistics and name the most effective methods, if I could find them.

Getting organized is not only my lifelong quest. It appears on most of the lists of Top Ten New Year’s Resolutions. One source had the nerve to say it “can be a very reasonable goal,” but gave no advice for reaching the goal. It was obviously written by someone who doesn’t suffer from C.H.A.O.S. (Can’t Have Anyone Over Syndrome).

My journal entries often include practical Bible verses to encourage me that this is a godly pursuit. God is not the author of confusion, but of order; I can do this through Christ, who strengthens me; I should forget what is behind and press on to what is ahead, to win the prize. With scripture to back me up, and the strong resolve of so many years, what is keeping that brass ring out of reach? Pogo’s words pop up: “We have met the enemy and he is us.”

If I hear and don’t act, James says it’s as though I glanced in a mirror and then walked off, forgetting what I look like. What a concept. Do what it says. Maybe I should get off the carousel and make a decision about one cluttering piece of paper at a time. And remember that with God, fresh starts and new hearts never have to wait until January First.  Maybe that brass ring is within reach after all.

QUOTE: “Resolve to renew all your old resolves and add a few that are new. Resolve to keep them as long as you can. What more can a poor man do?” (Early 1900’s postcard)

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning” (Lamentations 3:22 and 23a NIV).

Today’s devotional is by Robin J. Steinweg. Robin’s life might be described using the game Twister: the colored dots are all occupied, limbs intertwine (hopefully not to the point of tangling), and you never know which dot the arrow will point to next, but it sure is fun getting there!

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.

A Piñata Kind of Christmas

By Hally Franz –

We were celebrating in the home that my 91-year-old grandmother affectionately refers to as “The Big House.” The year was 1978, and, by today’s standards, there was nothing big about it.

I’d begun Spanish that year and wanted to share my new-found cultural savvy, so my sister and I made a piñata for our Christmas Day celebration. Our piñata was fashioned into human form, but his angular build was more like that of a robot. His torso was constructed of a boot box, his head a smaller boxy version and his appendages wrapping paper rolls. Simply decorated, what “Roboto” lacked in flash and style, he made up for in strength and endurance.

The youngest-to-oldest gifting procedure typically started right after dinner, but this year Roboto would precede the usual festivities. Once our clan of 16 was strategically positioned and, consequently, pinned in, around the perimeter of the family room (no bathroom breaks allowed), we were ready for Roboto.

My cousins, sister and I took turns batting our Latino guest, now suspended mid-air by a rod.   After Roboto took several blows unscathed, we put more muscle into it. As we whacked Roboto, he whirled across the room, lunging at Great Aunts Iva and Ruby. They yelped out, took cover and dropped down at the ends of the sofa.

Roboto’s flat, and evidently, well toned, midsection was struck repeatedly. He remained silent, and we determined to break him and get the bounty of treats. Violent shouts and unabashed laughter filled the room; it was getting ugly. My uncle managed to extract himself from the circle, returning moments later with shotgun in hand, prepared to do the unthinkable! Thankfully, Roboto soon broke without gunfire. A modest candy sampling landed on the floor, certainly not a haul worthy of this effort.

The holidays can be like our piñata experience. Life gets so busy we feel we’re being batted from one event to the next, head spinning with no time to reflect on the real gift of Christmas. For some, experiencing grief or difficult circumstances, this time of year can be like a punch in the gut. And, for others, the holiday hype just doesn’t live up to the reality when the season is over.

Our holiday challenge… Strive for calm rather than chaos, remember the eternal gift of Christ Jesus, keep others in our prayers and expect that earthly celebrations may never measure up.

PRAYER: Almighty God, guide me through the Christmas season so that I navigate the busyness of the holidays, remembering You and others in my heart and activities.

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2:14 KJV).

Today’s devotion is by Hally Franz. Hally is a former teacher and high school guidance counselor, turned homemaker. She enjoys volunteering at her children’s school, teaching Bible classes at her church, leading projects in 4-H, writing, reading, scrapbooking and rousing (though, sometimes, not pretty) zumba classes.

Christmas Angels

By Kathy Carlton Willis –

As a child, I longed to be the angel in our church Christmas play. Everyone said Mary was the coveted role, but I disagreed. Mary had to wear pregnancy belly covered by a drab gown. She endured a bumpy camel ride, hung out with the stinky animals in the stable. (At least she bore Jesus in a stable home!) She had few lines. In contrast, the angels wore glittery costumes complete with wings. They got to fly and sing. They had a recurring role in the play. And they were the ones who delivered the good news!

Let’s think about how the folks in biblical times responded to the visitation of angels.

First, Gabriel visited Zacharias. Through his story we learn God breathes hope into the stale air of impossible situations. Does anything seem hopeless to you today? God is the expert at taking impossible situations and turning them into blessed possibilities.

Second, Gabriel visited Mary. Mary’s was a response of faith. Even though Mary couldn’t understand everything, she willingly trusted God. If we walk with God, there will be times He asks us to do the incredible. Even though we don’t know the end result we need to step out in faith.

Third, An angel visited Joseph. That night an angel told Joseph he would need to be faithful to Mary regarding this suspicious pregnancy. Joseph obeyed, and brought Mary home to be his wife, trusting her word. And with that decision he became the earthly father of the Son of God.

Fourth, the angels visited the shepherds. Theirs was a response of praise. These weren’t ordinary shepherds. In that time unblemished lambs were sacrificed in the temple as sin offerings. The temple authorities kept this flock in the hills surrounding Bethlehem. It’s fitting that the news of the One who would be a sacrifice for all was announced to those who tended these sacrificial sheep.

What is your reaction to learning of Jesus? Like Zacharias, do you entertain doubts? Are you speechless or dumbfounded when it comes to the things of the Lord? Perhaps, like Mary, your reaction to the news of Jesus is true worship and humility. Maybe you are obedient to God’s direction in your life, like Joseph. Or perhaps, you come to God with fear and trembling, willing to follow, like the shepherds.

AUTHOR QUOTE: However you come to Jesus, this Christmas season, come to Him!

“And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!’” (Luke 2:13-14 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.

Bursting With Thanks

By Robin J. Steinweg –

I decided one year that Mom needed a break from cooking the whole Thanksgiving dinner. She and Dad determined still to have it at their house. They would provide the big pull-out table and some side dishes, while traveling relatives could bring fresh fruit and relishes. It was my graduation from Pillsbury Crescent Rolls and Niblets. I would roast (heavenly choir sings) The Turkey.

In preparation, I watched PBS cooking shows and checked out cookbooks from the library. I even found a video for my husband on how to carve a turkey. Thus equipped, I felt confident. After all, I come from good Scandinavian cooking stock.

We ordered a turkey big enough to feed nearly twenty people. He barely fit in my oven. I took no chances. He came with a pop-out thermostat and gravy pouch, and I stuck him in one of those convenient cooking bags. I glanced over the directions, noting how much time he’d need to cook. After a newlywed fiasco in which I served my husband’s bosses nearly-raw chicken, I thought I’d err on the side of well done. I’d cook it a bit longer, but with a cover over the pan so no moisture would escape. The fragrance soon promised a mouth-watering meal.

Pressed for time at the end, I whisked the food from the oven to a towel-lined box along with some pumpkin pies and Potatoes Supreme. I thought I would burst with pleasure at supplying the main dish for the first time! Mom stood by to help lift it out. My husband stood by ready to carve. My older sister stood by, curious. The guests, seated, seemed to suspend their breathing as I raised the cover to reveal a perfect wreck of a bare carcass. It looked like a bomb had landed in its middle. My husband would not need his carving lessons, with the turkey in bite-sized bits. I’d forgotten to cut venting holes in the cooking bag.

Let’s see; humility? That’s an important lesson. Plan ahead more? Be better prepared? Count it all joy when you face trials of many kinds? They say that at such times one’s life passes before one’s eyes. But I took comfort as instead, a verse from 1 Peter in The Message flashed to mind: “Love makes up for practically anything.” Then I obeyed the next verse: “Be quick to give a meal to the hungry…”

AUTHOR QUOTE: Thank God if you belong to a family who loves you whether you succeed or fail (even if they never let you live it down).

“Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18 NIV).

Today’s devotional is by Robin J. Steinweg. Robin’s life might be described using the game Twister: the colored dots are all occupied, limbs intertwine (hopefully not to the point of tangling), and you never know which dot the arrow will point to next, but it sure is fun getting there!

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