What is '40'? - Lent 2016

Living Bread ~ Jesus said to them, “I am the Bread of Life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.” John 6:35 

During this season of reflections and renewal, join me in exploring the Bread of Life. When we encounter Jesus Christ, this Living Bread feeds, satisfies, and transforms us. Let’s come to the table and remember this True Bread “is broken for you”. ~ Donna Oswalt

During the forty days after His crucifixion, [Jesus] appeared to the apostles from time to time and proved to them in many ways that He was actually alive. On these occasions He talked to them about the Kingdom of God. Acts 1:3 NLT

Forty days measure the traditional Lenten Season, from Ash Wednesday to the Saturday before Easter. Sundays are not counted but remain days to celebrate Christ, our living Savior. While every day brings opportunities for the Christian to come face to face with Jesus, choosing these forty days before Easter for spiritual renewal and increased giving, for emphasis on God’s Word and the cost of Jesus’ sacrifice, and the need for Grace could bring unexpected blessings. 

Throughout Scripture, either in days or years, ‘40’ represents purification rituals and periods of rain, prophecies and days of fasting; it counts the lashes for punishment and days of taunting, defines the time for mountain top experiences, wandering in the wilderness, and testing in the desert. Biblical characters - Noah, Moses, Israel, Goliath, Jonah, Elijah, and Jesus - all experienced ‘40’. History reveals ancient civilizations would track time, measure cycles, and record events, frequently using the number ‘40’. So, what is ‘40’? Is it centuries upon centuries of scriptural, historical, and scientific tradition? Is it significant or symbolic? As best I can tell, ‘40’ represents a period of time. The Life Application Study Bible’s commentary for Acts 1:3 says, “Jesus spent 40 days teaching His disciples, and they were drastically changed.” Spending forty days encountering Jesus is life changing.

Lord, in these forty days - teach me, transform me. Like seekers centuries before, my spiritual hunger begs, “Lord, always give us this bread.” – dho

Focus Point: Spending forty days encountering Jesus is life changing.

All rights reserved; copyright 2016 by Donna Oswalt/Co-Founder of Mangrove Ministries/Christian blogger and author;  Breathing Room For My Soul (blog)~ Follow on Twitter @soulchat

For more information about this ministry visit ~

MangroveMinistries.org

LIKE Mangrove Ministries on Facebook

Season of Possibilities - Lent 2016

Living Bread ~ Jesus said to them, “I am the Bread of Life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.” John 6:35

During this season of reflections and renewal, join me in exploring the Bread of Life. When we encounter Jesus Christ, this Living Bread feeds, satisfies, and transforms us. Let’s come to the table and remember this True Bread “is broken for you”. ~ Donna Oswalt

Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives. Galatians 5:25 MSG

The heart of Lent, a spiritual tradition beginning in the 4^th century church, creates another opportunity for discipleship. Focusing on self-examination and selfless giving can realign the Believer’s worldview. A time of less busy, of simplicity, of renewed hunger for the Word, of seeing with new eyes can refresh the spirit. This season of spiritual renewal is not required in the Scriptures, but its possibilities can enrich living God’s way, the life of the Spirit.

The world constantly bombards our minds with boredom and pride, grief and anger, ambition and regret. But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard – things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic, holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely. (Galatians:22-23/msg) When we truly encounter the Bread of Life, we will be transformed! The possibilities are endless.

Jesus, teacher and example ~ I long to live more like You! Stop the chaos inside my mind, still my hurried days, feed my hunger for more. “Lord, always give us this bread.” – dho

Focus Point: When we truly encounter the Bread of Life, we will be transformed!

All rights reserved; copyright 2016 by Donna Oswalt/Co-Founder of Mangrove Ministries/Christian blogger and author;  Breathing Room For My Soul (blog)~ Follow on Twitter @soulchat

For more information about this ministry visit ~

MangroveMinistries.org

LIKE Mangrove Ministries on Facebook

Feasts, Old and New - Lent 2016

Living Bread ~ Jesus said to them, “I am the Bread of Life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.” John 6:35

During this season of reflections and renewal, join me in exploring the Bread of Life. When we encounter Jesus Christ, this Living Bread feeds, satisfies, and transforms us. Come on this journey and remember this True Bread “is broken for you”. ~ Donna Oswalt

By faith in Christ you are in direct relationship with God… a fresh start… the fulfillment of God’s original promise. Galatians 3:26-27 MSG

In the Old Testament, God commands Israel to observe many major holy days and requires particular ritual and religious practices. God’s promises to the Israelites unfold, and year after year within these celebrations, with each feast, His chosen people offer reverence and remembrance for God’s protection, God’s power, God’s provision. Today, faithful Jews still observe these sacred days giving honor and praise to God’s faithfulness.

In the New Testament, when the first century church begins, no requirements or lists of specific holy days or religious sacrifices appear. God’s promise is fulfilled. Jesus becomes the Blood of the Lamb from Passover, His Grace our atonement for sin. With His crucifixion, Jesus’ death rends the veil of the Holy of Holies within the temple, reveals the Mercy Seat, forever offering direct access to God. Old Testament law leads New Testament people into a relationship with Christ. Today, Christians know the presence of Christ through the Holy Spirit, and we feast on Living Bread.

Lamb of God, Your mercy falls gently around me. Restore my hope when fatigue wins, rescue my faith when doubt persuades. The law exposes my needs and my inabilities. “Lord, always give us this bread.” - dho

Focus Point: Today, Christians know the presence of Christ through the Holy Spirit, and we feast on Living Bread.

All rights reserved; copyright 2016 by Donna Oswalt/Co-Founder of Mangrove Ministries/Christian blogger and author;  Breathing Room For My Soul (blog)~ Follow on Twitter @soulchat

For more information about this ministry visit ~

MangroveMinistries.org

LIKE Mangrove Ministries on Facebook

Ash Wednesday ~ Needing More - Lent 2016

Living Bread ~ Jesus said to them, “I am the Bread of Life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.” John 6:35

During this season of reflections and renewal, join me in exploring the Bread of Life. When we encounter Jesus Christ, this Living Bread feeds, satisfies, and transforms us. Come on this journey and remember this True Bread “is broken for you”. ~ Donna Oswalt

He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord. Deuteronomy 8:3

In spiritual preparation to begin His ministry and after fasting forty days in the wilderness, Jesus is tired, weak, and hungry. Satan tempts Jesus. With each of the three temptations, Jesus rebukes the offer quoting Scripture from Deuteronomy. Led into the desert by the Holy Spirit, empowered by the Holy Spirit, Jesus shields Himself with God’s Holy Word. Spiritual warfare always desires to interrupt God’s plan.

As we begin our forty day journey to spiritual renewal, we, too, are surrounded by spiritual warfare, tempted to take short-cuts or feel important or avoid hardship. Sometimes in our weakness we choose temptation’s path only to become disappointed and disillusioned at its end. Jesus tells us, “I AM the bread of life.” Needing more than food to sustain us, we desperately need spiritual nourishment that can only come from Jesus.

God Almighty, I kneel before You, resting my weariness, laying my frail attempts to succeed by my own efforts. Mark me a sinner, one who has failed but is willing to try again. Renew my starving spirit; let my prayer be, “Lord, always give us this bread.” 

– dho

Focus Point: Needing more than food to sustain us, we desperately need spiritual nourishment that can only come from Jesus. 

 All rights reserved; copyright 2016 by Donna Oswalt/Co-Founder of Mangrove Ministries/Christian blogger and author;  Breathing Room For My Soul (blog)~ Follow on Twitter @soulchat

For more information about this ministry visit ~

MangroveMinistries.org

LIKE Mangrove Ministries on Facebook

Preparing for Easter: Lenten 2016 ~ Living Bread

Beginning this week on Ash Wednesday 2/10/16 and throughout the Easter season, you can read daily devotions on my blog. Sign-up to receive emails each day at Breathing Room For My Soul. Join me as we reflect and renew our personal relationship with Jesus. Please share this with your friends. The devotions will also be available on Facebook and Twitter @soulchat. ~ Donna Oswalt

Jesus said to them, “I am the Bread of Life; he who comes to Me will not hunger,

and he who believes in Me will never thirst.” John 6:35

This year the readings will explore the Living Bread and include topics on the “Bread of Life”, “Spiritual Famine”, “Soul Food”, “Bread of the Presence”, and “Daily Bread” to name a few. Each Sunday, along with a chosen song, we will look at the mystery of God, with topics such as the “Mystery of Faith”, “Mystery of God’s Image within Us”, the “Mystery of Grace” and more.  When we encounter Jesus Christ, this Living Bread feeds, satisfies, and transforms us. Let’s take this journey together, as we individually come to the table and remember this Bread “is broken for you”. Pray with me, “Lord, always give us this bread.” John 6:34  ~ Donna Oswalt

Through the Waiting

I pray to GOD - my life a prayer -
and wait for what He'll say and do.

Psalm 130:5 The Message

The Living Bible uses these words ~ I wait expectantly, trusting God for help, for He has promised. When we wait expectantly, that is called hope! In A Long Obedience in the Same Direction Eugene Peterson writes this about Psalm 130 and hope:

Hoping . . . means going about our assigned tasks, confident that God will provide the meaning and the conclusions. . . It is the opposite of desperate and panicky manipulations, of scurrying and worrying.

[Hope] is imagination put in the harness of faith . . . a willingness to let God do it His way and in His time.

Is it our lack of trusting in God's faithful promises or our cynicism towards hope that binds us to despair? Do we worry more about not being able to control circumstances than confidently going about our assigned tasks? Allowing God to work in His way and in His time often requires us to wait. By studying the Scriptures and through prayer, our relationship with God grows; our understanding of His character increases. In His presence we find a peace within the uncertainty; we are embraced by His peace through the waiting. We must wait expectantly on God ~ the One who is Faithful, who is Promise, who is HOPE! ~ dho

Gracious LORD,

I come to the altar shouting praise for

all the blessings in my life. You are the Light

that writes the words of my soul-song. It is

You that gives my heart its desires. You are Hope!

Faithful Father, I am God-strong; my blessings

abundantly exceed my needs. Creator, gather the

details of my life, take Your holy threads and weave

a tapestry of Your design. . . You transcend all

circumstances, expose all evil, reveal all love but

never measure Grace. I am God-strengthened! ~dho

Mystery of Prayer

"For My ways are not your ways... My ways are higher... My word... shall accomplish that which I purpose." Isaiah 55:8-11

Have you ever had a prayer answered differently that you wanted? Accepting the unknowns and uncertainties are the hardest places to be. Trying to understand the mysteries of God is beyond our understanding. In Isaiah we read that God's ways are not our ways; He exceeds our ability to know or explain circumstances or outcomes. It's not fair! Why is this happening? This isn't what I asked for! And on goes our disappointment when God's answers do not come as we would choose.

"In prayer we persistently, faithfully, trustingly come before God, submitting ourselves to His sovereignty, confident that He is acting right now, on our behalf." Eugene Peterson/Tell It Slant, pg. 144

Scripture gives many examples of faith and prayer. It provides examples of God's people praying for one thing but having to accept a different outcome. David prayed that his baby "would not die", but the baby died. In the garden on the eve of His crucifixion, Jesus prayed for God, if possible, to "let this cup pass from me", but the cross was God's reply. Paul prayed on several occasions pleading for God to remove the "thorn in his flesh", but this never happened. Sometimes, God does not give us the answers we desire; sometimes there is no explanation or reason or logic, sometimes circumstances are unfair and unfriendly. In these times, we can only accept the Sovereignty of God and trust that His plan will accomplish His purpose, especially when we cannot understand. ~dho 

Night Prayer

This week and next week, I will be leading a study "PRAYER: Whispers, SHOUTS, groans! for my church's women's ministry program. We will spend two sessions discussing the meaning and purpose of prayer, kinds of prayers, examples of prayer in the Bible and conversational prayer. Prayer takes many forms but it is always a spiritual communion with God, a two-way conversation, both speaking and listening required. The language of prayer is full of whispers, SHOUTS, and groans! Thomas Merton's reflection on prayer is this: "Prayer is an expression of who we are... We are living incompleteness. We are a gap, an emptiness that calls for fulfillment."

 As you contemplate "prayer" and what it means, ask yourself a few questions. Is my prayer life satisfying? Do I sense the presence of God in your prayer time? What is necessary for me to develop a richer prayer life? As I have pondered these questions recently, I find room for a deeper relationship desired but sometimes neglected. I encourage you to keep a devotional/prayer journal. Any size or style that fits your personality will do. I use mine to record devotional thoughts, to keep words or phrases or quotes I read in my study time, and as a place to write prayer requests, mine and others. Sometimes I write out my prayers, not always. This week I share a prayer I wrote several years ago infused by one Scripture verse. Praying God's word is always prayer! - dho

I get up in the middle of the night to thank You;

    Your decisions are so right, so true - I can't wait

    till morning!  Psalm 119:62

Loving God,

    The night sky is filled with luminaries that light the darkness.  Angels whisper evening songs to my weary soul. I do not notice. As sleep gently calls, I forget that I have breathed the morning air, listened to laughter, seen the evening sky appear. Another day! 

     Something disturbs the rhythm of my sleep, summons my soul.  In these sleepless moments, the Holy Spirit is waiting and listens for my response. Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!  

    Father, when I fail to see the beauty of Your day, remind me with a glorious morning to take my breath away, a soul laugh that only a listening heart can find, and a night sky crowded with stars like diamonds that demand a lingering look. My heart should burst with unmeasured thankfulness! These are Your ordinary gifts! I simply miss them in the hectic hours and scheduled chaos and saturated time. 

    Give my heart the desire to breathe, to listen and to see the ordinary with extraordinary intention. Grant my soul the desire to breathe, to listen and to see Your Extraordinary Gifts of Love, Grace, and Joy! Let me find Your extravagant gifts in every day! Let me say Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!

    Refresh my spirit! Refine my faith! Restore my love! Renew my strength! Rebuild my trust! Reclaim my soul!  Amen.  ~dho

Love's Healing Hands

"Your life is a journey you must travel with a deep 

consciousness of God..." 1 Peter 1:18 The Message

Within the past week I heard this song, new to me. The words flow from a place of knowing loss, a heart that has experienced grief and loss, but a soul that finds its source of hope in God. Take a moment to listen to the song; its lyrics are included in the video. Everyone has either experienced losing or will - the words "shattered" and "words fall short" and "tell your heart to beat again" become a balm of understanding that gently touches deep, invisible wounds; a "thousand pieces on the floor" affirms that grief marks us with a new identity, another way of living, a different kind of being. The "you that used to be" no longer remains. "Beginning" reminds there is more to come, that "Love's healing hands" can reach through the brokenness. Loss writes its own story, a different story for everyone. Grief becomes a part of you, another chapter in your God-story. The journey varies for each person, but there is one commonality - we are forever changed. Tell your heart to beat again! ~dho

"Tell Your Heart to Beat Again" by Danny Gokey  (video link)

UNplanned Places!

"God is seen in the places we didn't plan." Valerie Burton

"God is gracious - it is He who makes things right, our most compassionate God.
God takes the side of the helpless; when I was at the end of my rope, He saved me.
I said to myself, "Relax and rest. GOD has showered you with blessings.
Soul, you have been rescued from death; Eye, you have been rescued from tears; and you, Foot, were kept from stumbling." I'm striding in the presence of GOD, alive in the land of the living!
I stayed faithful, though bedeviled, and despite a ton of bad luck, . . .
I'm ready to offer the thanksgiving sacrifice and pray in the name of GOD.
I'll complete what I promised GOD I'd do, and I'll do it in company of His people"Psalm 116:7-10, 17,18 The Message

A few years ago a friend lost her wallet which had a significant amount of cash inside. Within a few hours of losing it she received a call from the Sheriff's Department; someone had turned in her wallet after they found it in a parking lot, AND, all the money was still there! According to the Sheriff's clerk, the person who turned it in did not want to leave a name, just hoped it would be returned. The most unusual thing is that my friend's phone number was not in her wallet. Her driver's license was there but she does not have a land line phone, and her cell phone is an unlisted, disposable phone to which she keeps adding minutes. We still aren't sure how they found her number! God's angels are all around!

When difficult and unexpected craziness interrupts our days, when disappointment and unexplained chaos interferes with our weeks, when deception and uneven cracks intersect our way, we must remember it is God who is gracious and loving! In God we find rest and peace! Offering a sacrifice of thanksgiving ~ a praise, a Hallelujah, a 'thank-You, Jesus' should be our frequent response, our faithful reply! God, who is always gracious, desires our obedience to Him and our praise! Be alert! Be alive in the land of the living! God is always present ~ don't miss Him in the crazy, unplanned places of this world! ~ dho

New Year, New Possibilities!

Your very lives are a letter that anyone can read by just looking at you. Christ himself wrote it - not with ink, but with God's living Spirit; not chiseled into stone, but carved into human lives. 2 Corinthians 3:3 The Message 

What will 2016 bring? As this new year begins, each of us stands before new opportunities and beside endless possibilities. Uncertainties and unknowns lay waiting, too! So - how shall we live? Begin now to answer this question by reading God's word and seeking His response to you. Find your Scripture verse for this year; the Holy Spirit will lead you. Let it be your spiritual map for the year, a guide through the unknowns, an assurance for the journey, a rescue in a crisis, a witness to others along the way. In following Christ, we become living letters written by the Holy Spirit. This coming year, let's choose to live fully and love completely for the glory of God. ~dho

Christmas Day, 2015

LIGHT the CHRIST candle EVERY DAY!

Wishing you and your families a Merry Christmas! On the day we celebrate the birth of our Savior, remember to light the Christ candle - today and every day! ~dho

EXPECT... Christ is Coming! - Advent 2015

Jesus promised: Behold, I am coming soon!... I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end. Revelation 22:12-13

"We must practice living to the glory of God."  Tozer

Christ is coming! God's promise echoes throughout the Old Testament in times of obedience and  oppression, in bondage and brokenness, in rebellion and rescue. Christ is coming! "For unto us a Child is born...and His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6) Scriptures and scholars  confirm the birth and death of Christ. Skeptics walked the same dusty roads, welcome the same amazing miracles, witness the same teachings as the disciples. Discontent and fear grows while political powers denounce Jesus. On the night before His crucifixion, Jesus tells His disciples, "I will see you again..." EXPECT!

The world strikes discords of injustice, failure, hate, dishonesty and feeds temptations for these weaknesses. From the time of Jesus' resurrection until now, wars and famines and natural disasters fill the pages of history. Many believers have identified these as signs of the last times, have predicted the arrival of the Messiah. Most of these predictions have passed.In the words of the angels said as Christ ascended, "Why do you stand looking into heaven... Jesus will come in the same way you saw Him go into heaven." (Acts 1:11) Holy Scriptures tell us we will not know the time or day Christ returns, but Christ is coming! EXPECT!

Throughout history - wars and rumors of wars are unceasing along with inhumanity and wicked schemes. The days on earth are full of hostilities and marked with rebellion.  From the 1st Century to the 21st Century - Christians eagerly wait Christ's return within the chaos. So with eager expectation we prepare our hearts to share the Gospel story. In the sacrament of communion, we take the bread and cup in celebration of Christ's victory of death and sin, and in celebration of His coming again. Bread of Life chooses us in love and calls us to love each other. Christ is coming! EXPECT! 

4th Sunday of Advent - 2015

Jesus said, "With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." 

Mt. 19:26

Christ is coming...always coming! The Promise of Christ's coming again becomes the victory over life's difficulties. In these last days of Advent, seek His presence, find His peace! Expectantly watch for Christ! This ADVENT know the promise of the coming of Christ. ~dho

LIVE...Christ is Coming! ~ Advent 2015

But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. John 17:13

Just as our Lord came into humanity from the outside, so He must come into us from the outside. Have we allowed our personal humanity to become a "Bethlehem" for the Son of God?"  Oswald Chambers

Frederick Buechner says, "Advent is made of moments. This slow, unfurling of grace." Our busy, over-packed commitments can muffle the whispers of the season. Sometimes, almost by accident, we find these "unfurling of grace" moments rendered in sacred song, revealed in children dressed as shepherds and angels and wise men, remembered as ornaments are carefully hung on our Christmas trees. Within these moments there is quiet joy, joy of being, joy of abiding with Christ, joy of God's unending blessings. LIVE!

Joy comes with the coming of Christ that holy night in Bethlehem. As joy enters the world full of chaos, love tenderly welcomes. Soon, Joy sings from the wings of angels with glorious song to shepherds who rest in the night. A new day, a new way is born. From an unexpected entrance and into the darkness, Joy comes and humanity will be forever changed, a joy of Eternal Hope, a joy of Perfect Love, a joy of Everlasting Peace. Although Joy enters the world in Bethlehem on a dark night over 2,000 years ago, the coming of Christ still brings joy for us - for you and for me, for strangers we never meet and some who will become friends; joy comes for the affluent and the afflicted, for the brave and the spiritually bankrupt. Joy calls to the powerful and the powerless, the elderly and the children, the every-day person walking an every-day path. Today - in this moment - the coming of Christ calls each us to become a 'Bethlehem' for Him. LIVE!

Advent's joy, Immanuel, God with us, transforms our hearts and homes, our families and friendships, our communities and cultures. Christ becomes new life in us. Messiah - a name spoken by prophets, a Baby announced by angels, the Son affirmed by God, a Teacher nourished by the Spirit, a Savior crucified by sin, a Redeemer resurrected by Grace, a King returning by Promise - let my life be a Bethlehem for You! Be born again in me. Don't miss Him! LIVE! ~dho

3rd Sunday of Advent ~ 2015

Jesus said, "With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." 

Mt. 19:26

Jesus comes to us that we may have joy, that we may have HIS joy! As we move through this season that celebrates Jesus, remember that He brings joy into the world and into us. The Light of the worlds brings joy... IS joy even in our darkest and most difficult times. This ADVENT rejoice in the coming of Christ. ~dho

LISTEN...Christ is Coming! ~ Advent 2015

For there is born to you this day in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:11

"The Giver becomes the Gift, this quiet offering." Ann Voskamp

Familiar names fill Bethlehem's ancestry, names like Caleb, Rachel, Naomi, Ruth, Boaz, Obed, Jesse, and David, and its place is etched in history long before the coming of Christ. As predicted 700 years before (Micah 5:2) in the village of Bethlehem surrounded by the darkness of night, the Gift arrives - "this quiet offering" - Christ the Lord. From a virgin womb to a worn manger, the coming of Christ births God's plan for reconciliation. The Bread of Heaven comes to give life to the world. With the power of redemption, reaching into the darkness of humanity, Love embraces brokenness. LISTEN!

Centuries foretell this holy night, revealing more than recorded historic prophecy. In an ordinary stable, Jesus is born into the world. An event so extraordinary, thousands of heavenly angels proclaim His coming, "for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." Songs of praise and hope fill the night sky. From silent terror to urgent action, these shepherds, these socially undesirables, these lowly peasants, these religiously unclean sinners who are not allowed into the temple, who are not allowed to testify in court ~ THESE simple shepherds become the first to be told of a Savior entering the world. They respond, "Let us go straight to Bethlehem then and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us." (Luke 2:15) The humble surroundings of Christ's coming stand in stark contrast to the glorious announcement of the angels. The first witnesses who would testify about His birth are the antithesis of the kings and religious leaders who would testify against Jesus. LISTEN! 

The coming of Christ marks a permanent place on history's timeline, marks the beginning of a spiritual transformation for humanity. He comes bringing salvation to all - for kings and outcasts, for rich and poor; Christ holds no preferences for race or gender, for social status or cultural origin. He is not defined by person or place. On that mysteriously, miraculous night, the coming of Christ begins to change the people, one simple shepherd at a time. Good news of great joy for all people comes as a gift of Perfect Love. "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth." (John 1:14) Immanuel, God with us, comes to us. Don't miss Him! LISTEN! ~dho

* Ann Voskamp, "The Greatest Gift"

2nd Sunday of Advent ~ 2015

Jesus said, "With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." 

Mt. 19:26

In the quiet of the darkness of night, suddenly angels fill the sky singing, "Glory to God in the highest! And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!" Shepherds, bewildered and amazed, look up at the multitude of angels. Shepherds hear the angelic proclamation that a Savior is born in Bethlehem, a baby who is Christ the Lord. These who society considerd religiously unclean, these not legally allowed to testify in court - THESE simple shepherds are the first to be told of Christ entering this world. The shepherds go and see the baby lying in a manger. In celebration, these witnesses to the holy coming of Christ tell others about their unbelieveable experience.This ADVENT celebrate the coming of Christ. ~dho

WATCH...Christ is Coming! ~ Advent 2015

"The LORD will rise...and His Glory will appear upon you." Isaiah 60:2

"This Christmas story - it begins in the beginning, this love story that's been coming for you since the beginning. It begins with the always coming of Christ."  

Ann Voskamp, The Greatest Gift

There is deep beauty in the "always coming of Christ" that touches the soul with uncompromised hope. God's presence with His people, His shekinah glory, fills the imagination today in scenes recounted in the Old Testament. For Moses, after completing the tabernacle as God described, the "glory of the LORD filled the Tabernacle." For the people of Israel, "throughout all their journeys, the cloud of the LORD was on the tabernacle by day, and there was fire in it by night." When the Ark of the Covenant was placed in the Holy of Holies in the temple Solomon built, "the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD." Solomon's prayer of dedication acknowledges that God cannot be contained in a dwelling built by man and declares "from Your dwelling place" hear the prayers of Your people. Shekinah comes from a Hebrew word meaning "dwelling of the divine presence of God" and affrims, "Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You." God's omnipresence exceeds the boundaries of time and space; He is infinite and everlasting. WATCH!

Hope speaks through the prophecies and promises of the coming of Christ, of a Messiah, a Savior. Isaiah gives words of a future hope, this always coming of Christ, "Darkness as black as night covers all the nations of the earth, but the glory of LORD rises and appears over you." From the beginning, God's everlasting covenant of love has contained a New Covenant, a Perfect Love, a Blessed Assurance ~ an always coming of Christ. In Revelation 15:8 John describes God's shekinah glory and power when the Messiah comes again, "The Temple was filled with smoke from God's glory and power." The promise that Christ is coming ~ always coming ~ prevails! The Messiah's words still echo through centuries of time and generations of waiting, "Look, I am coming soon...I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End." WATCH!

Full of signs and symbols, Advent gathers God's prophecies and promises of redemption. Centered around an evergreen wreath and the lighting of candles, the Eternal God calls to us in Scripture and story and song. Iconic pictures come to mind as we hear the Christmas story read once again. Familiar carols and children dressed as shepherds and sheep pause the world, if for only a moment here and there. In this stillness, God's glory fills us. Lost in the wonder of indescribable love and surrounded by the divine presence of God ~ remember and reflect and reclaim hope in the "always coming of Christ." Don't miss Him - WATCH! ~dho

* additional Scriptures referenced in post with links below from Biblegateway.com
 Exodus 40; 1 Kings 8:11; Isaiah 60:2; Revelation 22:12-13

1st Sunday of Advent ~ 2015

Jesus said, "With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." 

Mt. 19:26

God's shekinah glory, His presence manifested, comes to us full of wonder and mystery, full of wordless splendor, breath-taking and awesome. God promises His presence and glory to shine on all, uniting humanity and truth. This ADVENT celebrate the coming of Christ! ~dho

Thanksgiving Hope

But as for me, I will hope continually and will praise You yet more and more.
Psalm 71:14 NASB

In homes across America this week, preparations for Thanksgiving are in full swing - traditions requiring planning and grocery shopping for the annual gathering of family. So many decisions abound - to stuff or not to stuff the turkey, how much sage to put in the dressing, what kind of cranberry sauce to serve, and which desserts to include. Yes, it does sound a bit more like a celebration of indulgence than simple thankfulness. So, when did Thanksgiving become more about abundance of food rather than abundance of hope?

This past summer, my family took a great vacation to Maine. On our way we stopped in Rhode Island at Plymouth Rock. There is a complete replica of the Mayflower there; along the quaintdss streets there are souvenir shops, ice cream and t-shirt shops side-by-side historical markers. You see restaurants and lodging with iconic names like the Mayflower General Store and the William Bradford Inn. The view of the harbor is lovely, and old stone walls and churches tell a story of long ago. But the story of the first Thanksgiving reflects a people who endured great hardship on a long journey of hope.

Leaving Plymouth, England in September 1620, 102 people sail across the ocean for 2 months, some seeking religious freedom and some seeking prosperity in the New World, but all coming with hope. Only half of the original passengers would live to see Spring in New England. Within that first year, Native Americans would teach these pilgrims how to plant and harvest corn. While the Native Americans had a long tradition of celebrating the fall harvest, in 1621 they gather together in celebrating the pilgrims' first successful corn harvest. This merging of nations and traditions with a feast of thankfulness writes America's first Thanksgiving story. The hope of new beginnings, the hope of survival, the the hope of religious freedom, the hope of prosperity join together creating new traditions with new people. 

Pilgrim means a "person who journeys" or a "newcomer to a place". Some of the Mayflower pilgrims came to a new land looking for freedom to worship without mandates by the government. Some of these pilgrims came to make money. These settlers and many others would set the standard and endure the cost of these pursuits. There would be death and famines and wars and more than 150 years before the Declaration of Independence would be written and signed officially forming a new nation. When I think about those times and now, I see lots of similarities. We continuously find ourselves enduring uncertainties and often hardships (physical, emotional, or financial). We don't always get along with our neighbors. Sometimes, we are the newcomer and are not welcomed, other times the roles reverse. We constantly hear about death and famines and wars. Yet, we all need hope to pull us through; we need each other and need to gather together in feasts of thanksgiving.

We are still on a long journey but now live those very freedoms the hope of the pilgrims of 1620 brought to the New World. None of us are perfect; we are flawed and yearn for more. At times money motivates and differences divide and fears fetter our hearts. For more than 200 years after the first harvest feast, America found ways to celebrate the hope of freedom, but it would not be until 1863 when Abraham Lincoln declared Thanksgiving an official holiday with this proclamation:

Lincoln asking Americans to "ask God to command to His tender care on all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners, or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife." He called for an annual day of Thanksgiving, the last day of November to "heal the wounds of a nation."

We are all pilgrims on a journey of hope - a hope for better, a hope for more. Let us strive to be a brighter light and a kinder neighbor for there is enough darkness around us. Let us seek to love better and judge less for there is more than enough suffering already. Let us shout praises of thanksgiving for the freedom of America and freedom of our souls. Let us offer prayers of thanksgiving to God whose blessings of mercy and grace define our Hope. Let us gather together - with family or friends or whoever we meet on Thanksgiving day - and remember, we are pilgrims who are prone to wander...prone to leave a God who pursues us, loves us, rescues us. Jesus continues to seek the newcomers and the strangers and those who have simply lost their way. Let our Thanksgiving Hope rest in God's goodness! Let His goodness refine our HOPE! ~dho

**side note: In 1941 FDR signed a bill making Thanksgiving the 4th Thursday in November (rather than the 'last'); the purpose was to stimulate retail sales during the Great Depression. Hummm! -dho