The Best Intentions

So... I had the best of intentions when I decided to write a daily thought for each of the Jesse tree symbols. You can see that it didn't happen. I can list a dozen excuses (a baby in the house being #1), but the truth is, I became overwhelmed by the Christmas season; which was exactly what I was trying to avoid.

My plan B was to just what I could, then take a picture of the Jesse Tree to show you. This is where my husband's 'best intentions' interfered. He graciously took down all the Christmas decorations while I did the grocery shopping. It was wonderful, but the Jesse Tree was taken down before I could snap the picture.

sigh.

If this were an experiment in faith, my hypothesis was, "If I commit to the Jesse Tree, I will have a greater understanding of the meaning of Christmas."

My data collection was sketchy at best as I was unable to formulate my daily schedule to be consistent enough to even finish the Jesse Tree.

The conclusion: despite the Jesse Tree, I fell victim to the 'rush' of Christmas, the deadline of cookies, and the pressure of gift-wrapping. There was a difference, however, that didn't show until after the Christmas flurry. I found silence and peace in the Christmas Mass. The words in the readings resounded loudly in my ears, for I knew the long line of stories that lead up to the Nativity.

I pray that your Christmas preparations were more successful than mine. I will certainly try again for next year. Faith persists!

Knowing Yourself

I was taught a valuable lesson today about myself.

Last night my children spent the night at my girlfriend's house. Nothing strange or inspiring about that - until you know a bit about her. She has three children who are the absolute walking-talking definitions of 'graciousness'. My friend and her husband are also caring for his mother who suffered a stroke a few months ago. Mom came with a list of therapists and doctors appointments, and two dogs; bringing the number of dogs to 4. And she asked for my children to stay for the night.

Not impressed yet? My youngest is 6 months old.

Now I know you are impressed!

There's more. She said she wanted to do something for herself and having my children there was that something. That's amazing to me. If I think about doing something for myself, I think: time alone to write, pedicures, or extra sleep. I don't think about other children coming to my house.

Does that make me selfish?

I feel like I just met me...and I don't like me very much.

I've learned many wonderful lessons from this friend, from her example and her care for me. I've never known anyone like her. How blessed am I to know someone who truly is an example of Christianity? God put her in my life and our friendship has blossomed. I pray with every fiber of my being that I can be as considerate and gracious as she. I pray that I can find the joy in people that she does.

God Bless you, Becky!

Jessica

Sunday, First Day of the 3rd Week of Advent

Person: David
Reading:1 Sam. 17:12-51
Symbols: slingshot, 6-pointed star

Who doesn't love the story of David and Goliath? It's the ultimate nerd vs. bully story in which the nerd wins.

But David was hardly a nerd, just a young man who had been chosen by God and anointed by Samuel. In God's perfect plan, the Savior would be born of David's lineage.

Look closer at the story...David agreed to fight Goliath because Goliath had spoken ill of the armies of the Living God, our God, the Father. David had already proven brave against a lion and a bear, so really, a giant with no claws or fangs probably didn't seem all that frightening. David must have known that God's helping hand would be with him, that Goliath would be 'delivered into his hand' because 'the battle is the Lord's"(47).

Are we fighting a good fight? Do our 'Goliath's' taunt us into corners or do we fling stones of the Lord into the foreheads of giant troubles? Haven't we been anointed into our faith by our baptism and confirmation? Are we listening to the gift of the Holy Spirit so we have God's word in our heart and his spirit by our side, telling us what the good fight is?

Are we preparing for Jesus' coming or are we focusing on our shopping?

Saturday, 2nd week of Advent

Person: Jesse
Reading: 1 Sam. 16:1-13
Symbols: crimson robe, shepherd's staff

And today we meet Jesse, the father of David, the ancestor to Jesus. Another foreshadowing: What was David? A shepherd. And what do we call Jesus? The Lamb of God. The Good Shepherd. God must love symbolism!

It’s today that we hear God tell Samuel, “Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature, because I have rejected him. Not as man sees does God see, because man sees the appearance but the LORD looks into the heart.”

Not by Hollywood or glamor magazine standards are we to be judged, but by the faithfulness and love in our hearts. That is what’s important. That is how God judges. Therefore, I will spend today looking past the faces I meet and try to peek into the heart of the person.

Friday, 2nd Week of Advent

Person: Samuel
Reading: 1 Sam. 3:1-18
Symbols: lamp, temple

Can you imagine what it would be like to hear God calling your name? I would probably respond just as Samuel did and assume that it was the person in the next room. How interesting that God didn’t not reveal himself to Samuel, but allowed him to wake Eli three times. It was only after Eli told Samuel that it was the LORD speaking to him that the LORD actually gave Samuel the revelation. This makes me wonder what I’ve missed. If someone had told me to listen for God, would my ears be more tuned to the heavenly frequency? Have I surrounded myself with people who will recognize when God is working on my life and tell me to say, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening!” A better question is, Am I the type of friend who encourages others to listen for God?

Hmm...

The second part of this reading is a real hum-dinger. Eli, who served God so well, failed to correct his sons’ behaviors. God saw that and punished them severely. Imagine this in earthly terms:

Your son robs a bank, a crime you knew he was going to do, but did nothing to stop him because you figure, “Well, he’s all grown up and he makes his own choices.”
Your son is caught by the police.
Your son is incarcerated for his crime.
As his parent, you are also fined a huge penalty; a fee you will pay every month for the rest of your days.
Nothing you do will ever be enough to rid yourself of the actions of your son.

Eli accepted the Lord’s punishment, knowing that God was just. I praise God that my crimes are not forever held against me, that the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross paid for my sins. It’s still true that nothing I do can be a full retribution for my sins, but if I believe in Jesus and follow his teachings, I have a full pardon.

Two valuable lessons in one day. Thank goodness it’s Friday!

2nd Week of Advent, Thursday

Person: Moses
Reading: Exodus. 2:1-10
Symbols: baby in basket, river and rushes

I love the story of Moses. I’ve read the story in the bible and yearned for more detail (I’m of the mind that the Bible tells amazing stories but is vastly short on details!) I’ve watched The Prince of Egypt and know that that retelling was altered for the sake of Hollywood, but I loved the music. And as a writer, I see Moses’ experience in the basket down the river as a foreshadowing of Jesus: from simple beginnings (as a slave in Egypt and a birth in a manger), to a dramatic rescue (Moses in the basket and Joseph’s obedience to flee for Egypt to protect Jesus from Herod), to their leading the people to freedom (Moses quite literally lead the Israelites out of slavery and Jesus leads us away from the enslavement of our sins).

Today’s readings are a reminder that God knows what He is doing and has shown us, through the scriptures, that His plan is a perfect plan. When all else fails, I hope that I can remember that: God’s Plan for me is perfect. I must be like Mary and Joseph and be obedient.

Wednesday, 2nd Week of Advent

Reading: Exodus 19:1-20:20
Event: Giving the Torah at Sinai
Symbol: Tablets of the Torah


Ah, rules. What would we do without them?

Picture for a moment, the world without the most common rules...

Parents would have no say in how their children were raised because respect for them would not be taught.

Oh wait. That happens.

People would place monetary objects of positions of power over the honor due to the One True God.

Um... yeah, I've seen that recently.

But who would ever forget to take one day of rest and spend that time with the Lord?
Or why would we desire things that don't belong to us and not care for the things that do?

Yikes. Those things happen too!

So what are we up to? God gave us ten simple rules to follow; ten commandments that we must follow in order to please Him, the father of all, whom we should respect above all else.

Quick bible quiz:
What happened to the Israelites when they didn't do as God commanded? (Don't forget, this is after God worked some awesome miracles on their behalf to free them from Egypt!)
The Jews called themselves "God's people", but how often did they wander away from God's laws? And how were disciplined for their "misbehavior"?

I see many things in our society and in our world that spit in the face of God. We may not participate, but are we just as guilty if we don't stand up and say something? Won't that opportunity be lost soon if we don't use our freedom of speech while we still have it?

I pray for all the people who have forgotten Your laws, Lord. Please work on their hearts, to soften them to you and harden their hearts to the distractions of this world. For only when our eyes on You, do we see the world for what it really is.