Thanksgiving Archives - The Ultimate Gift

February 24, 2016

Weight Limit

I have been blessed with the opportunity to escape Pennsylvania winter for a few weeks this month. 70s and sunny seems to agree quite nicely with my muscles, but getting away, in general, has rewarded more than my muscles. My mind, body, soul and spirit have ALL benefited from this midwinter escape.

When it came time to pack my suitcase, I was a bit perplexed for I have never been away from home for this long. I had to prepare for a variety of weather conditions and also bring items I would normally do without if I were only gone for a week. The kicker in all of this is that the weight limit for my loaded suitcase was 40 pounds. There was ZERO chance I was going to allow myself to be charged for going over the limit! So, I did it, and even had a couple pounds to spare.

The byproduct of abiding by that weight limit and getting away from home is LESS distractions. I suppose we could have filled our days with endless activity, but instead, we came with no agenda other than enjoying the warmth. Fourteen days of white space…in a row! I long for those blank calendar days at home, but rarely find one. There is always something that needs done, someplace we need to be, etc. In all the commotion, it’s easy to lose sight of what matters most and so hard to stay God-focused. I’ve experienced greater success while away because there aren’t so many things vying for my attention. It seems I left a great deal of “weight” behind. I think Solomon was on to something:

“In my search for wisdom and in my observation of people’s burdens here on earth, I discovered that there is ceaseless activity, day and night.” Ecclesiastes 8:16 NLT

We do, do, do; we run, run, run (go ahead, put it to music)! Yes, I know, sometimes our responsibilities offer no alternative. But when we see an opening, we should take advantage of it. Use your blank space to recharge, refocus, re(whatever you need), etc. It doesn’t require two weeks, or even necessitate leaving home for that matter. But I do believe a conscious effort is required on our part. Go ahead, “pencil” it in on your calendar…with an eraser. You won’t regret it!

My favorite picture from our winter escape, brought to you by our Creator and made possible with “white space”

December 25, 2015

Jesus – The Ultimate Gift

Have you heard??

“The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” ‭‭ Luke‬ ‭2:11-12‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Just as the prophet Isaiah foretold…

“For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” ‭‭ Isaiah‬ ‭9:6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Unto you. Unto me. Unto Us. A Son. Is. Given.

God gave us the Ultimate Gift when He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, from heaven in the form of a baby. May each of you savor the Savior and the hope, love, joy and peace that He came to give.

December 19, 2015

Advent: The Candle of Joy

Can I be honest? As I sit down to write a post about joy, I’m not feeling all that happy. You see, I’ve fallen victim to everything I’d hoped to avoid this advent season. Sure, my day gets off to a good start as I spend time with Him. But then life happens and Martha springs into action! She gets busy preparing for the Lord’s arrival. Mary, on the other hand, sees no reason to stress over the Christmas “to do” list. After all, Jesus’ presence is the only thing that truly matters.

But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke‬ ‭10:41-42‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Who cares if the cards get sent? Do we really need cookies? So what if there are no special touches given to our decor? And what about gifts? I guess the response depends on who you ask. (Especially regarding the cookies…right, Mom?) Though I know deep down these “things” are non-essential for celebrating Christmas, they have become tradition and it’s difficult to part with that. Jesus wasn’t necessarily condemning Martha, but rather, affirming Mary. So, for all you fellow Marthas reading this, don’t beat yourself up, BUT also don’t lose sight of the one thing worth being concerned about.

Imagine the shepherds watching and waiting for days, weeks, months and years on end for the promised Messiah. Then. It. Happened. An angel delivered the news…

“but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!” Luke‬ ‭2:10-11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The Savior that we ALL desperately need had arrived, perhaps not quite as expected though.

“And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” ‭‭ Luke‬ ‭2:12‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The King came to us as a baby. And, oh boy (pun intended), did He bring joy! As believers we have 24/7 access to the joy that comes from living in His presence for the Holy Spirit dwells within each of us. No one or nothing can steal that joy, not even life’s difficulties here on earth. I’ve often heard this differentiation made between happiness and joy: happiness is a circumstance-based feeling, but joy is not. Feelings change with the wind, but Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews‬ ‭13:8‬ ‭NLT‬‬) and our joy is found in Him!

As Christmas draws near, may we each remain focused on that one thing worthy of our concern—Jesus, the baby boy who brought us joy!

As the popular Christmas carol begins…

Joy to the World! The Lord has come

Let earth receive her King!

Let every heart prepare Him room

December 5, 2015

Advent: The Candle of Hope

It is my intention to write a post for each week of Advent. Whether that comes to pass or not remains to be seen, but that is my desire. Life often gets in the way of my good intentions, especially this time of year, perhaps only because I allow it. In addition to the usual daily responsibilities, there are decorations to be displayed, gifts to be bought and wrapped, cards to be sent, cookies to be baked, etc., but let’s not forget the whole point of Christmas—celebrating Jesus’ birth and its significance all these years later. Of all the items on my “to do” list, I can’t imagine any are more important than sharing the Good News.

We kicked off the Advent season at church last Sunday by lighting the candle of hope so I’ve been giving much thought to that word this week. Who can’t use a hefty helping of hope? The state of our world gets more depressing by the day as we wake up to news of yet another senseless act of violence or tragedy beyond our comprehension, all part of living in a sin-stained world. This is in addition to the more personal heartaches that touch each of us individually. As Pastor Chris frequently says, “Everybody’s dealing with something.” Your something may include grief, unemployment, a broken relationship, poor health, a big decision, or any number of other things that create turmoil in our lives. One thing is sure—we could all use a fresh infusion of hope as we deal with our somethings.

One of my favorite activities during Advent is to sing in my church’s annual Christmas cantata. It’s coming up next weekend. I think this is my 14th one and each year we participants, and sometimes even our audience, seem to say, “This is the best one yet!” They’ve all touched my heart in their own unique way. Oftentimes there is one song that especially gets to me. One that, if I think about the message, I’ll lose it. When singing, it’s best not to think too much. This year my tearjerker is titled “Unto Us.” We are ALL broken and in need of a Savior. God knew that from the beginning and put His plan of redemption into motion on that very first Christmas. The prophet Isaiah spoke of this event long before it ever came to pass.

I created and named this website a few years ago with the intention of letting my readers know that Jesus, our Messiah, is the Ultimate Gift. Unto you. Unto me. Unto us. He. Was. Given. May that good news fill you with hope in the middle of your something!