...a word from Kathy

The Savior can be seen in creation, and in splendor, and in humanness.   And today, the Savior can be seen in each of us. C hristmas day has always been greatly anticipated by children of all ages.   The anticipation plays out through the cooking that begins days before the celebration, and through Dads who make late night runs for batteries, or put together Barbie houses, through children having a hard time getting to sleep, and through other children waking up WAY to early!  And parents wondering, did we purchase the right gifts, who did we forget, or how will we pay all the bills.   Then when the day arrives and all is over, we’re left with empty boxes, tissue paper and ribbons and over-stuffed bellies.  Christmas has come and gone.  We’ll hear kids arguing, see some disappointed faces and some will be glad that ‘life will now get back to normal’.  It’s over. Whether we realize it or not, I believe we anticipate the Savior in the same way.  We ...

The Savior has come in creation, and in splendor, and now in humanness.  A gift like no other. T he labor pains began and the wee baby arrived.  A gift of humanness.  This special baby grew up with  https://www.pinterest.com/pin/504332858271847619 / sisters and brothers.  He lived life.  Then, he walked among people and taught lessons about life.  He taught humility, unconditional love and forgiveness, acceptance without judgment or shame.  He spoke of the Kingdom of God as a place of longing and the possibility of a place inside each of us. The Kingdom of God?  The heavenly place where Love resides.  Have you ever pondered what it cost the Son of God to leave the Kingdom, to leave the splendor and majesty of heaven and come into this world as a baby?   And, how was it possible to squeeze such glory into a human form?  And, what kind of Love empties themselves of such inexplicable power, glory, and majesty to save just one lost...

Photo by Vincent Guth on Unsplash D uring these weeks prior to Christmas,  we are exploring  ways that we may have already experienced the coming of the Savior, and how He can and will continue His arrival in us. I’ve been thinking recently about the different “looks” of God that we see throughout the Bible.  There have been many discussions over the years about the Old Testament God and the New Testament God.  Thoughts like, “give me the New Testament but I’ll leave the Old Testament to others.”  Or “I love the joy of Jesus in the New Testament, but I don’t like God in the Old.”  So I wonder, do we tend to look at God as a buffet table.  I’ll take a little of this and a little of that and leave off my plate those things that don’t taste good to me or annoy me or make me uncomfortable. As a kid, I continually tried to persuade my mom that I didn’t truly need any green vegetables and could survive on rolls and mashed potatoes and fried chicken.  S...

T he Advent season is here.  “Advent” is derived from the Latin word adventus, meaning “coming.”   In other words, a savior is coming.    In my opinion, a savior has come, is coming, and will come again.  In the next four weeks, we will explore ways that we may have already experienced His coming and how He can and will continue His arrival in us. H e came in creation.  I spent a good deal of Thanksgiving week creating.  My creations went from pecan pie, to cornbread dressing, to flower arrangements and most importantly, creations of feathers and clay with my grandson.  It’s a lot of work to create place settings with turkeys made of clay and felt feathers!   Seriously, what does creation do?  Or why is creation important.  During my creative Thanksgiving, the recipients of the baked goods and other foods gained pleasure.  Creation gives people beauty to behold.  Creativity gives our minds a chance to expand and grow and p...

I n my memories, I see happy Christmas mornings, I see wrapping paper everywhere!  I hear squealing and laughter.  Additionally, I see our children wearing Easter clothes and running to and fro hunting Easter eggs, eating candy, joyful! I also see children carrying the flowering cross as they walk down the center aisle of our Texas church on Easter morning, I hear the Alleluia being proclaimed, I see smiles and joy!   And then a few days later,  I hear my child ask, "Mama, now what?  Christmas and Easter are over and now all we have is regular life for a while".  Indeed, now what? Peter, James, John, Mary, and many others asked the same question.  They had a thrilling few years but it didn't end as expected.  So, they hid, wept, asked for proof of life, denied, betrayed, and were devastated, and wondering, now what? As do I, too often.  And maybe, as do you.  Maybe our minds ask: But why?  For what purpose?  How could you? ...

I n the Eastern Orthodox tradition, the season of Lent is described as a “bright sadness.”  I've only recently heard this term and it has pierced my mind and thoughts. So today, I simply offer some questions. During the 40 days and nights that Jesus was in the wilderness, did he experience a bright sadness? During the temptations that Jesus faced, was there a bright sadness? (according to writings of Henri Nouwen, these temptations were being relevant, being spectacular, being powerful)  When I experience the temptations of relevancy, the longing to be spectacular, and power, can I see bright sadness in my life? When my life goes awry, can I find bright sadness? In Rolling Fork, Nashville, California, China, Russia, Eukraine, is there bright sadness? Do I dare to live my life in bright sadness? When Jesus was in the wilderness, was He bright with joy although He knew what days were ahead?   Is the way of bright sadness a process?  Perhaps we look at Lent in the wrong...

O ne mystery surrounding Jesus were His upside-down teaching points.  The weak will be strong.  The  first will be last.  The rich will be poor.  The greatest will be the least.  This perplexed the people of Jesus' day and still perplexes many of us.  This upside-down life teaching is counter-cultural to all else we see, hear, and experience in our daily lives.  Right? And now we're in a spiritual season that takes us to wilderness or to desert times.  Most of my life, I've thought of the desert as a place of pain, of want, of isolation.  It reminds me of the annual, dreaded doctor visit and the thought, "I really don't want to do this but know I should"!  BUT, what if this wilderness is another example of Jesus' upside-down teaching?  What if the wilderness is where the blessing finds us? Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after He had fasted for forty days and forty nights,...

H onestly, some verses from the Bible bother me.  I don't understand their meaning.  However, I totally accept that I will not understand many things until heaven arrives!  But I do like to ponder and reflect.  Ponder with me today? Consider these verses from three books of the Bible. Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Matthew 4:1 At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him. Mark 1:12-13 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil . Luke 4:1-2 Jesus was led into the desert by the Holy Spirit, by God Himself?  Why?  Why would God lead him, or me, or you into deserts?  I do not like the desert.  The desert makes me fearful; it strips me bare; it hurts, it wounds me. ...

C hurches and individuals are practicing a season of Lent, a 'giving up' as a preparation for Easter or an 'adding to' for the same reason. It is a time of reflection, a time of mourning, a time of awareness, and a recognition of how desperately we need and seek a Savior. Lent gives us an opportunity to anticipate the work of Easter.      Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness,       where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished.  Luke 4:1-2 Tempted and tested before His public work began. Tempted and tested before the teaching in the temple, before the healing of ailing people. Time after time, tempted and tested. Tested about life needs and God's power. Sounds like real life. When least expected, a test comes, an unexplained hurt occurs, an accusation is voiced. Conversely, when least expected, a joy ...