Ah, memories! They tend to sneak up at Christmas and other holidays; maybe even days like today—at New Year's. There are other times during the year, too, when you might feel a tug on your heartstrings as old memories resurface. It's heartwarming to recall the good times of the past, but sometimes longings for those days can cause sadness. I smiled as I sorted through a stack of decades-old photos this morning. The photos brought back great memories, but also left me with a sense of longing. When you visually scan the span of your life, a lot of thoughts come to mind: How far have I come in my life? What have I accomplished? How have I impacted others' lives?
So, how does one grapple with longing? My heart tells me the way to do this is through the eyes of faith. Created by the God of the Universe, we were blessed in many ways, including the capacity to hold onto memories. (Of course, it's up to us to focus on the good ones and not otherwise). If you find yourself longing for the past or for those people who are no longer with you, there are things you can do: 1)Pray. God can provide the comfort you need. He loves you and He knows your every need even before you ask. 2)Think about the past, but with the understanding that you were surrounded by people who loved you, cared for you, and guided you. Be grateful for their presence and their influence in your life. For those who are no longer with you, be comforted in knowing the love you shared will live on. 3)Now, think about the present. Who are the people that surround you now? Family, friends, neighbors, or others? How do they fit into your life and how do you fit into theirs? How do they love and care for you, and how do you love and care for them? Remember: whether in the past—or the present—you were/and are—surrounded by other people. You are not alone in the world. Reach out to others. What does the Bible have to say about the past? A verse from Isaiah 43:18-19, says, "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland." Pray how you can make the best of the present. It's all you or I have to work with. We can only live one day at a time. One night, after praying about longings of the past, a thought came to mind. It helped me. I think it might help you, too: 1)Think about the people who are part of your life today. 2)Skip ahead in your mind to years ahead in the future. From that vantage point, look back at today. (Maybe even take a black and white photo of yourself, your family, or friends). 3)Visualize now as a time in the past. It might just "seem like old times" after all! <><<><<>< "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" - 2 Corinthians 5:17 May each day of your new year be prayerful, fruitful, and blessed! Photos: Carl Pelander/Nancy Johnson
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Merry Christmas! A Christmas Short Story: "Through the Eyes of a Donkey" (Khmaaraa's Journey to Bethlehem) “Khmaarraa!” Joseph man calls to me, “Donkey!” in Aramaic, but I do not listen. These four legs want to quickly run to the Jordan. Thirsty, I am! Joseph man, grabs my tether. He shakes his head. “You must slow down, Khmaarraa. I do not want Mary to fall off!” I bad! I forget I carry supplies and lady human. I bray. I am sorry. But Joseph man covers his ears. He does not understand my talk. “A blessing to be here at the Jordan,” Mary lady says. Joseph man comes to help her down from my back. She puts her hand over a big bump under her wool cloak. Her belly, big like mine! Maybe she goes to eat as often as I go to pasture? But no. I hear Mary Lady talk of a baby kicking. She makes a home for it inside her belly. “We must go, Mary. There is no time to waste,” Joseph man say. I look. I see Mary’s face is sad. “I am hurting, Joseph. The ride is bumpy.” “Maybe it would be best if you walk for a while.” “Yes, perhaps so. You told me this would not be easy, Joseph, but I did not know the hills would be so steep and rocky.” “I know, dear Mary. I wish I could make it more comfortable for you.” My ears prick back. I hear sounds. I watch. Over the hill, others come. Soon, I see a rich man pass by with his entourage on fine, well-groomed donkeys. They are much larger than me. Joseph man and Mary lady look, too. Rich man gives a fat laugh. “Will you look at that little donkey? He will never make it up these mountains!” The other people with him laugh, too. Joseph man and Mary lady pay no attention, but I feel sad all the way until the sun go to bed. Mary Lady says she glad to have small donkey. Better fit for her. I glad she like Khmaarraa. My fur is thick, but I shiver. Mary lady cold, too. Joseph man to wrap her in blankets. He gathers sticks to make fire on the ground. “This will keep us warm,” he says. In the firelight, Mary lady takes hard bread from a sack and pust oil and herbs on it. She unwraps dry fish to eat with the bread. Joseph man come. He loosens my tether. I forage along the riverbank, chew tree bark, and take drink. My belly will soon look big again. Joseph man sits next to Mary lady. They eat by fire. Later, Joseph man lays awake. He says sleep will not come. My ears perk up. I hear the howl of coyote and rush of wild boar. Mary Lady awakens with a scare. I feel scared, too. Mary Lady says prayer. She talks to God a lot. But I, Khmaarraa, am just a donkey and do not know many things. Who is this God of whom she speaks? I do not know. But I think in my mind God must be a good listener. Joseph man tries not to complain, but he says the journey is “grueling.” I think he tired. “Long days, long nights,” he says, “and tomorrow will be ten days on rocky goat trails—and now come rainstorms.” I try not to complain, but am tired, too. Sudden thunder shakes the ground. I have scare! I bray and start to run, but Joseph man comes to me. He makes me be still. Then, water pours from the sky. Joseph man and Mary lady hold a blanket over them, but rain soaks through. My fur is soaking too! I shiver in my legs. Mary Lady says her back feels pain. My back has pain, too! Her foot feels pain; my hoof has pain! Mary Lady is crying tears but is not telling Joseph man. I feel the cry inside, too. Khmaarraa sad for Mary lady! In the black night, a big star shines and makes light like the daytime. Joseph man comes shouting with dance in his arms and legs. “Come, look, Mary! I see Bethlehem over the ridge!” Mary Lady stands with him. She looks out. Happy water travels down from her eyes. “Joseph,” Mary gasps, holding her abdomen. “We must hurry. My time is near.” Joseph gathers supplies and pulls on my rope. I tired! But he say to me, “Khmaarraa, your legs must go fast. Mary needs our help.” Mary Lady holds tight on my back. “Let’s go, Khmaarraa!” Joseph man yells. I move quickly, running my four legs fast to the Jordan. The cold wind bites my nose all the way to Bethlehem town. “I can’t believe how many people are here,” Joseph man say. “We must find a place quickly, Joseph,” Mary say. She put hand on her belly. We go to Inn. Joseph man makes talk to Innkeeper. “Please, we need a room. My wife is going to give birth,” he says. But Innkeeper shake his head. He sorry. “There is no room in the Inn.” We go more. We look and look. Then, a human-kind see Joseph man leading me and Mary lady riding. He makes talk to Joseph man. “You are welcome to stay in the stable,” he says. The eyes of Joseph, they look like the sun gives shine! And Mary lady gives smile even though she makes groan. We get to stable. I happy! Hay, water, other four legs are here. Joseph makes quick to help Mary lady down. I hunger.. Want to eat. But Joseph man say, “Wait, Khmaarraa.” He asks me to move to make a place for Mary lady and puts hay in Manger. “This is for the baby, Khamarraa,” he says. “Your food is over there with the other animals.” A bright star shine making great light. Joseph man give me hay to eat, water to drink. Soon I hear a cry—not Mary lady cry—baby cry. Joseph man and Mary lady shout happy words to God. I just Khmaaraa—a donkey—but I know special time has come. Bright light from the sky shines. Joseph man look. He says, “The Wise Men come bearing gifts from afar.” Joseph man look at me and little baby in Mary lady’s arms. They smile. I think they smile to me, too. I am glad to be Khmaaraa donkey, Jerusalem donkey. It is true. “You have a fur ridge,” Joseph man say, “in the shape of a cross on your back.” I am glad to carry Mary lady to stable. Now, she have the baby. A special baby, they say, “Son of God.” I do not know these things. I only small donkey, but I am a glad helper for Mary Lady. We go long way on this journey. Joseph man and Mary Lady look up in the sky. They say, “Thank you, God.” I do not know these things like human-kind, but I am happy for Joseph man and Mary lady. I happy for baby. He “Son of God.” Khmaarraa make bray sound in throat. Khmaarraa happy! # Merry Christmas from the perspective of the donkey who may have accompanied Mary and Joseph on their difficult journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Scripture does not specify if Mary rode a donkey, but these animals were a common form of transportation at the time. Due to Mary being in her ninth month of pregnancy, it would have certainly made the journey easier for her. And Jesus rode a donkey into Jerusalem before his crucifixion. We don’t know, but it is possible this could have been the same donkey. The Jerusalem (Nubian) donkey has a fur ridge on its back in the shape of a cross. We do not know if this was the type of donkey that Jesus rode on Palm Sunday, but it is a possibility. And, might this also have been the type of donkey on which Mary rode as she carried the unborn Christ Child to Bethlehem? We may never know the answers to these questions, but one thing is certain: the Savior, the King of the World, was born on that cold, still night over 2,000 years ago in Bethlehem. # MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU! May the joy, peace, love, and hope of Christ be with you this season and through the new year to come! Reprint of a story by Nancy Pelander Johnson, "Through the Eyes of a Donkey," Copyright December 15, 2020 Photo courtesy of Decheng at Pexels.com If we were clocks, some of us would be in trouble! "Wait a minute!" I begged my husband. "I promise I'll be ready soon," I said. I'm always running behind. Do you ever feel that way? As the days count down to Christmas, the rush is on for us to accomplish everything on our to-do lists. Time. We're wrapped up in it. The phrases we use demonstrate it's importance in our lives. In addition to "Wait a minute," we might say or hear, "Hold on a second," "It takes time," "It's about time," "Time flies," "Don't waste time," "The time is right," or "Don't be late!" You can probably think of others. "Where is time when we need it?" we ask. "Can't we just have one quiet minute?" One minute of our time is worth something, even though it's only a small percentage of the 1,440 minutes in our 24-hour day. As Christmas approaches and we feel the sense of urgency to accomplish a lot of things, we may grow weary or impatient. How we wish we had more hours in the day! When our children were young, I felt overwhelmed preparing for Christmas. My father-in-law said, "You're just spinning your wheels." I didn't want to believe him, but sometimes he was right. The time I spent worrying was time I could have put to good use. I thought about taking just one minute of my busy day to close my eyes to rest or say a prayer. Those moments allowed me to re-focus and push the proverbial "reset" button. Contemplating what the Bible has to say about time, I found many verses. Here are a few of them: "He has the perfect timing: never early, never late. God is never in a hurry, but he is always on time." - Daniel 4:32 "With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day." - 2 Peter 3:8 "And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up." - Galatians 6:9 "Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed." - Mark 1:35 As you prepare for Christmas, may you find a quiet minute for your day, and may your comings and goings be kept in prayer for God's guidance for you. <><<><<>< Photo courtesy of Vecteezy.com The two gray squirrels chased each other up and down the pine tree, then stopped abruptly. Facing downward, they remained attached to the tree trunk, their eyes darting about; fluffy tails twitching. . I watched in amusement as the furry friends carried on with their silly antics for another five minutes. Then, the one who had initiated the chase stopped in it's tracks and began digging beneath the pine-needle covered soil. Retrieving an acorn, it sat on its hind legs, cradled the acorn in its paws and nibbled until its cheeks puffed out like a balloon. Likewise, the other squirrel searched for and found a treasured source of food. The simplicity of watching the squirrels was a needed diversion from my usual routine. Still smiling, I return to my work desk refreshed—and grateful—for the little things in my life. We may not always have squirrels lurking about, but when we take notice, we see that we are surrounded by God's creation every day. As you gather with those who are special to you on this holiday, may your heart be filled with the joy of provision. Thanks be to the Lord for all He has provided for you—including the little things. Happy Thanksgiving! <><<><<>< “Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him, tell of all his wonderful acts. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice, look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.” – 1 Chronicles 16:8-11 “For every beast of the forest is Mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird of the mountains, and everything moves in the field is Mine.” – Ps. 50:10-11 “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” – Matthew 6:26 Photo courtesy of Vecteezy.com While sorting through folders on my desk as I thought about what to write, I came across an alphabetical list of words I put together months ago, describing who Jesus is to me. I hadn't posted it, so thought I'd share it with you today. As you read through the list, you might think of additional words to describe who Jesus is to you? (Feel free to share your thoughts on my Contact page). The list follows: Jesus is: A Absolute, Able, (The) Answer, Almighty, Abundant, Accepting, Anointed, Alpha & Omega, Advocate, Alive, Apostle ("sent one"), Atonement, Advent, Agape, Author of Salvation, All-Knowing, Ancient of Days, Agnus Dei, Authority, Awesome, Ascended to Heaven on the third day. B Bridegroom, Beautiful, Believing, Beheld, Beloved, Bold, Bread of Life, Branch, Blessed, Bearer, Brother, Brethren, Banner, Balm, Bearer of sin, Born of a virgin, Benevolent, Bountiful C Christ, Counselor, Cross-bearer, Comforter, Courteous, Consoling, Courageous, Caring, Caretaker, Communicator, Crucified, Confidant, Carpenter, Cleansing, Compassionate, Confiding, Considerate, Changeless, Crown of Glory, Chosen D Desire of all Nations, Destiny, Defender, Dayspring, Died for us, Deliverer, Door of the Sheep, Dwelling place, Divine, Discipleship E Engaging, Eternal, Everlasting, Emmanuel, Eminent, Extraordinary, Esteemed, Evangelist, Elect, Excellent F Fearless, Favored, Faithful, Forgiving, Foretold, Future, Friend, Freeing, Fountain of living waters, Fortress, First and last, Foundation G God’s Son, Glad, Glorious, Glorified, Good, Good Shepherd, Great, Generous, Gracious, Genuine, Governor, Gift, Guide, Guardian, Gatekeeper H Humble, Healer, Helper, Humane, Humanitarian, High priest, Holy, Honorable, Honored, Horn of salvation, Heir of all things, Hallowed, Hiding place, Heavenly host, High tower. I Immanuel, Ideal, Instructor, Infallible, Inspiring, Insightful, Immaculate, Innocent, Intercessor, Immortal, Incarnate J Jesus, Jehovah Girah, Joy, Jubilation, Judge K King of Kings, Kingdom, Kindred, Kindness, King of the Jews, Keeper L Lamb of God, Lord of all, Light, Love, Loving, Life-giving, Living, Living water, Listener, Lion of the tribe of Judah M Magnificent, Messenger, Master, Mediator, Messiah, Morning star, Majesty, Man of sorrows N Near, Nazarene O Overcomer, Omnipotent, Omnipresent P Pacifist, Patient, Present, Persevering, Perceiver, Prince of peace, Powerful, (Our) Promise, Pure, Peaceful, Paschal Lamb, Preacher, Physician, Prophet, Provider, Passionate, Powerful, Perfect, Praised Q Qualified, Quick to understand R Radiant, Radical, Rabbi, Redeeming, Righteous, Revelation, Rock, Relentless, Resilient, Real, Resurrected, Revelator, Root of David, Ransom for many, Refiner, Refuge, Reward, Revered, Rose from the dead. S Strong, Sweet, Savior, Salvation, Sacrificed, Slain, Son of Man, Son of God, Spirit, Sinless, See-er, Sword-bearer, Shepherd, Sharing, Sought, Sanctified, Sincere, Spotless, Shield, Shelter, Song, Strong tower, Steadfast, Sun of Righteousness, Servant T (Of the) Trinity, Truth, Teacher, Trusting, True vine, True light, Treasure, Triumphant, Transfigured U Upright, Unequaled, Unparalleled V Valiant, Victorious, Valued, Virtuous, Virgin birth, Very present help in trouble, (The) Vine W Worthy, Wonderful, Welcoming, Warrior, Witness, Word, (The) Way, Well of living water, Wise X Of the Cross Y Yielding, Yahweh Z Zealous 2/7/23 n.j. May your week be blessed and may you fully know how much you are valued and loved by the One who gave His life for you. Photo courtesy of Syed Raza, Vecteezy.com |
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