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Let's Eat

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I n the Bible stories leading up to Easter, we read about temptations that Jesus faced.  On the surface, these temptations may seem to reveal the historic era of 30 BCE and not be applicable to our lives today.  But maybe, they reveal a human nature we prefer to ignore. We all have faced temptations. The easy ones to consider are those from childhood, i.e., the temptation to selfishness, or the high school/college temptations that led down roads we wished we’d never traveled, or the career temptations of, “what happens on the road, stays on the road.”  But in our current days of life, do we still have temptations, have we outgrown these sources of torment? After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” 4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Matthew 4:2-4 It is obvious that this...
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Far and Near

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O ften, I awake in the wee hours.  My mind mostly weighs heavy thoughts in these moments.  I think of old days and old ways as well as yesterday and future days.  However, the silence in these hours is most welcome even amongst the tick-tock I hear in my head and house.   And then, the silent child is beside my bed.  She's scared, she's teary, she's looking for reassurance that someone is near.  She's searching in the darkness and quiet for safe arms as she has woken up in an unknown place and sees only shadows of yesterday.  My granddaughter wanted her mom, her comfort and protector. This Christmas I sense that my protector is far and near too. He's farther and nearer than I can know. He's farther ahead and behind that I can understand. He's nearer than my next breath. He's farther in healing my past than I can conceive. He's farther than what I expect Him to be and nearer to my wildest hope. He's farther from condemnation and nearer to all lovi...
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Santa or Savior?

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Santa  is practically on his way.  Children are in full anticipation of his arrival, experiencing no doubt of his arrival.  I don't believe that I've ever heard a child say, "what if Santa doesn't come."   They are confidently focused on packages arriving: gifts, gadgets and gizmos!   This bold anticipation of Santa's arrival is a teaching moment for me.   Before the birth of Jesus, the Jewish people did not doubt a Savior was coming.  They faithfully knew that one day he would come.  They were preparing for him; not with ribbons and wrappings but with hearts of quiet anticipation knowing he was practically on his way. As we enter the last ten days before December 25, I wonder if I'm anticipating Santa or a Savior. It seems that in the age that Jesus was born,  people were starving for a Saviour.  They lived life desperate for a hero, a conqueror.  They realized that their only hope was for a king to come and defeat their enemies. ...
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The Silence of Christmas

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I 'm a long-time Southern girl.  Most often we celebrated the Christmas season in cotton sweaters and longed for cold weather.  But occasionally in December we got a snowy moment or two.  And what I remember most about a snowy morning was stepping outside and hearing absolutely NOTHING.  The silence of snow is a most beautiful thing.  In fact, not much else in my world creates silence.  But when presented with it, I suddenly realize my deep longing for it. Zechariah was a priest in the Temple in Jerusalem just before Jesus was born.  Let's read about him:   Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense.  12   When Zechariah saw him, he  w as startled and was gripped with fear.  13   But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John.  14  ...
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He is Before

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Edwin Warner Park Nashville, TN I t is December 1st and a new day.  A new day traveling toward Christmas Day.  A new day for me in a new place.  And I desire for a new day in my heart and mind. December brings to mind hustling and bustling, decorations and gift buying.  However, the left-over turkey is still in the frig!  What is my hurry? Let us all S L O W  D O W N.   Slow down and think about what is to come, what has come.   Who is this Baby that Christians celebrate at Christmas?  This Baby is the God who according to Tim Keller, "wrote himself into the scripts of our lives." This God came to us in creation.  He came when we least expected Him and we wondered, how?  This God came to us as we were waiting for someone to save us. I'm thinking today of people looking for hope.  People looking for energy for tomorrow and food for today.  I'm putting myself in shoes of those looking for money to pay taxes and take long jou...
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Eyes of Your Heart

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O ften, I get stuck in circle of thought.  This week I’m stuck on the words, “eyes of my heart.”  I’m struggling to understand this simple but complex phrase. Assisi, Italy I’ve used the term, open your eyes , but mostly in traffic situations when a driver may have frustrated me!!  Or when my husband is diligently searching our frig for an item and I casually walk up and pluck it from the shelf, open your eyes !  In kinder days, I open my eyes and catch a blue bird flying by.  Or I notice small flowers on the roadside, or the magnolias beginning to bloom.  My eyes are also open to see hurting people on the news and in my city.  I see division and anger.   As I try to live with open eyes, I'm not sure I live with the eyes of my heart.  I have even arrogantly asked God to open his eyes and heal our world, heal those I hold close, heal the pain and suffering and division.  These examples of my pleas to God have a commonality for they seek a...
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Wandering and Wondering

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B ack in my childhood days, we were wanderers.  I remember jumping on my bicycle to explore with the only rule being, "be home by suppertime."  Lord knows, how far we'd ride and certainly my mother never really knew how far and wide we'd go! I still have memories of those explored places, hidden bike routes, plum trees we borrowed from, and even pomegranate trees with fruit that confused us. Wandering and wondering were good for my childhood. I learned that exploration and curiosity can be helpful to understanding.  Now, I admit that there were a few times that my mama had to "teach me" some difficult lessons when my wanderings went sideways.  But I still learned, I still had a chance to see for myself. Such was the case for these men on the road to Emmaus. Certainly, after their last few days these guys must have been experiencing a wandering and a wondering existence.  For suddenly, life as they had expected and even anticipated had gone sideways. Now that...
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