HAPPY NEW YEAR!

This is the time that we all make our regular annual good resolutions. For day after tomorrow everybody will have smoked their last cigarette, took their last drink, said their last cuss word and will have sworn another broken oath. For many, a New Year’s resolution is something that goes in one year and out the other. An optimist will stay up until midnight to see the new year in. A pessimist will stay up to make sure the old year leaves. Many look forward to the new year for a new start to old habits.

But along with Benjamin Franklin, I say: Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better person. Happy New Year everyone! May the coming of 2012 bring you closer to Christ, more committed to your family, more compassionate and tolerant of others, and provide you opportunity to succeed in all your endeavors, as we all seek to get our priorities in order.

Love you,

Bren

CALL IT RESOLUTION OR ANOTHER CHANCE

The New Year is just about here. We are all looking back thinking and wondering how we spent our last year and trying to decide if we are going to do better in some areas or simply have wishful thinking, and hope we do better. Often times we struggle in making changes, because we never really set our minds to do them or maybe because we have failed in the past in trying to change so we simply say, “I hope to do better this year!”, and leave it at that.
Maybe you've failed at something in life, and you think that your dream is lost or you will never get the victory over a bad habit or situation. May I tell you that through my own experience, if you are a child of God that you serve the God of another chance. He doesn't keep score on how many times you have failed Him either. Whether its marriage, a job, a relationship, or your finances or simply your walk in Him, He hasn't given up on you. He wants to help you, make you better, and guide you into the purpose He has for your life. In your obedience to Him, God will give you every tool and circumstance that you will need to accomplish those goals. 

So very often we tend to expect too little from God. We tend to imagine that He's too angry with us from our past failures or that He does not bother with us, if we do not bother with Him. That's not the God of the Bible, and that's certainly not how Jesus works in our lives. Jesus continually reaches out to people, people who need another chance. When ask how many times we should forgive other, Jesus replied seven times seven……and that is how He forgives us! You must start seeing God realistically. I mean by seeing Him mending your hurts and disappointment. Seeing Him running out to meet you, to give you another chance, just like the father of the prodigal son did. The more we view Him as He really is, the more we can trust Him with what we give Him. Your pain, hurts and disappointments aren’t wrecked for good. Because the most loving, powerful Creator of the universe wants to heal them; and if He can create a world and place it the arms of a universe, don’t you think that He has the power and creativity to meet your needs and minister love and compassion in your life where it is needed?. His word tells us that He holds us in the palms of His hands…..what better place to be?There is no sin that God cannot forgive. He does demand that we repent and turn away from all our sin, and if we truly love Him, His word says that we will and as we love Him more, we will strive to live according to His Word and what He ask of us.

There are many accounts in the Bible where God gave people other chances to do better. Moses, found in the book of Exodus, killed an Egyptian taskmaster who was abusing Hebrew slaves. God wouldn't listen to any excuses Moses gave upon his unworthiness to sever Him. God simply forgave Moses for those failures. He didn't care about Moses' low self-esteem or his speech disability because God had a job for Moses to do, and he was going to give him as many chances as he needed to get it done. And God will do the same thing for us today. The woman in John 8 got a second chance upon being charged with a wrong that she had committed. The devil not only wants to break the one who seeks forgiveness, he also wants to hurt God’s Son by using our wrongdoing to accuse us before the Father. Just like those teachers of the law trying to use the women’s sin as a trap to accuse Jesus in John 8. satan hates that God can forgive sin. He hates the fact that God even wants to forgive sin. You see satan loves sin and sin is what separates God from man. That is why God went to all the trouble He did, to reconcile those that could not reconcile themselves to Him. For He knows that we are but dust and wants to help us!

Satan is unrelenting in his attempts to shame you, strip and dishonor you in order to challenge God's work in your lives. He wants you to believe that because of the life you have been living, you aren’t worthy for the Kingdom of God. He wants you to give up. He wants you to think that God can’t use you anymore. But sweet friend, when you are feeling down and unworthy, remember all those God used in the past. Moses was a murderer; David slept with another man’s wife and had him killed so he could be with her. Abraham lied about Sarah being his wife, Peter betrayed his good friend, the Son of God, and the list could go on, yet as they became broken before God, they became mighty instruments for His Kingdom. Even the story of Jonah wasn’t about a fish. It was about the God of the second chance.

You might think it this way….Life is like a football game….and until it is over you have many opportunities to get into the game and make a difference. For many of us, the game is only half over. Not only do we get a new year to start over, but every day we wake up we are given a new opportunity to do it again; to choose that day…. Whom we will serve and how we will go about it.

I Cor. 9:24-27 say’s, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”

Let us learn to beat our bodies and make them do what our heart wants them to do, and not what our flesh hungers for. This year let us, feed the spirit so that we are stronger and put to death the flesh in us by denying it what it wants…

God Bless your New Year, may it be the best one yet!
Loving you always,
Bren

HOLIDAY GIFTS FOR YOUR CHILDREN

December is the time of year that we give and receive gifts to one another more than any other month of the year. Some will be given in the spirit of friendly exchange, while most will be given in love, by family and friends who really care and want to express that love by their giving. When you love someone, really love them, there is no gift too great that you would not give them. I like to think that the reason we give gifts at all during the Christmas season, is because of the example that God gave us, by giving His greatest gift to the world in the birth of His Only Son; and while we celebrate God’s greatest gift ever, during this time of year, I am reminded that God gives many more gifts that are to be acknowledge and appreciated as well. Gifts that are worthy to be passed on to our children. Gifts that if utilized, will bring a greater since of peace and joy into our holiday season, reducing the stress and havoc that the holidays seem to sometimes bring.

Years ago when my daughters were young, I decided one Christmas to use the holidays to teach some very important spiritual and moral truths to them. Instead of hanging the normal favorite Christmas ornaments on the tree that year, we hand-made new ones. Each one was created with some type of spiritual lesson or moral value attached to it. As we designed our new  ornaments, I talked with them about the kind of gifts that God gives us. We discussed what the scriptures teach us are spiritual gifts and how we could utilize them during the Holidays, by loving on people and ministering to them using those spiritual gifts that God has placed inside us as His children. As for the gifts, we wrapped empty boxes and labeled them with words like, Joy, Peace, Long Suffering, Kindness, Helpfulness, Forgiveness, Gratitude and other words that were befitting to the character of God. I tried to use every moment that I could that year as a teachable opportunity to teach charity to my daughters.

Christmas does not have to be full of strife and hectic schedules. Often times, we ourselves are responsible for creating the havoc in our homes by not slowing down and saying “NO” to things that we may should have said “NO” to. Taking the time to create lessons that will have a positive and lasting effect on our children will be so worth the effort, if we will simple choose our Holiday activities and battles wisely. While there is nothing wrong with giving toys, clothes and candy to our children as gifts, be sure to make the effort in teaching them charity….the gift that last forever!

Praying peace and joy for your family during this Holiday season!

Hold Fast,

Bren

THE CHRISTMAS BLUES

Trying to keep up with everything that will be taking place during the holiday season rush of shopping, cooking, plans and parties can often times, lead to much stress and even Christmas depression. The gift buying alone can cause the greater amount of stress than any other factor. One of the primary reasons for holiday stress, depression and blues is because of our unrealistic expectations of what we believe, moreover of what we want our holiday to be.

From the time we are children, we start building up our expectations of what we believe or perceive Christmas to be. Often times when we do not meet those expectations, we are left with the feeling of failure and disappointment. These feelings can be brought on by ourselves or even by family and friends. You may not be able to change your family’s dynamics, but you can at least be more aware of how they affect you. For example, are you particularly sad after shopping with a particular person? Do you dread the family Christmas dinners? To survive Christmas depression, find ways to shorten or eliminate the experiences that make you feel bad and fight to stay focused on what’s important.

Often times this wonderful and spiritual Holiday is a period of frenetic activity, a time when people are trying to juggle their work schedules, stay committed to social and church obligations, get their shopping done, do all the decorating, wrap all the gifts, and still find the time to enjoy all the fellow shipping with friends and family while staying on that dreaded budget. All this can lead to a rise in both physical and emotional stress for the entire family.

For many of us, the festive season around Christmas brings out our worst over-indulgent habits that we may normally have. We will eat more, spend more, go more than we would normally do, and regret it; come the first of the New Year as when we step on those scales, and the credit card bill comes in the mail. Trying to avoid some of the excesses that we desire and feel we must have can perhaps help us to have a more peaceful and Merry Christmas. This year, make a real effort to keep it simple. One way in keeping things simple is by giving only what you can afford, and doing what only needs to be done, not what you feel others expect from you. If you can no afford to buy that extra gift, then don’t buy it! If you are expected to show up at a party but need the rest from having been attending so many others, then don’t go. Stay in and rest. That way, you can really enjoy the holidays without feeling the rush and stress of it. They truly will be “what you allow or make of your holidays”!

Also, try to keep in mind that things will occasionally go wrong. The kids may spill things, break new toys, get dirty and make noise and at times even embarrass you. Your husband will forget to buy batteries, even though you reminded him several times. You will most likely forget to do something important, like thaw or cook the turkey on time, invite a particular person or forget to buy that someone a gift, or simply forget to take the cookies out of the oven before they have burnt to a crisp. You may possibly have plans that will get delayed, from someone being to slow, or a relative will get tied up with other responsibilities and will not be able to make your function and cancel or not even show up at the last minute. Some dog will undoubtedly jump on your new clothes and their un-clipped toenails will rip up your stuff or scratch your skin, or get under your feet and hang around you begging for a morsel during your entire visit at someone’s home. Things do happen! But, if you can learn to face these little setbacks with yes, a forced smile and some Christmas grace, then I promise you that you'll find yourself having a better holiday, because now you're more relaxed and are accepting the setbacks that want to steal your Christmas joy.

While the holiday season brings sentiments of joy and celebration for some, for others it is a time of isolation and an increase in feelings of depression and negative thoughts. Those feelings of negative thoughts and depression can become so extreme for some that they can even lead to thoughts of suicide. Especially at risk are people who are socially isolated and have no friends or family. If you are feeling depressed, please make all the effort that you can to surround yourself with positive people who make you feel hopeful and give you encouragement. If people do not know that you are down and blue, then you must make them aware of it. If not you may well miss an opportunity for an invite for some holiday cheer. So, be sure… if you are alone or far away from family and friends this holiday season, to join a local volunteer group that brings holiday cheers to others or join in with a group of folks at church and strike up new relationships. This way, you will help yourself and others.

For those who enjoy the excitement and energy of the holidays, be aware of those around you at work or in your church or family who may be alone and in the true spirit of the season, invite them to celebrate with you, reminding them that there is hope. That way you truly are spreading the joy of Christmas and sharing the true spirit of God’s love for each other as we celebrate His Son’s birthday together, so remember; Christmas should not be about our unrealistic expectations of what we wish it would be but about what it really is…and that is…Jesus, He is the reason for the season!

Happiness is a choice....loving you always, Bren

THE GOD OF A SECOND CHANCE

Two of my all-time favorite movies growing up were about the life of Thomas Edison. The name of the first movie that came out about him was called, “Young Tom Edison” in which Mickey Rooney played Tom as a young boy and the movie chronicled his early inventions and scientific experiments that usually ended up with all types of disastrous results. While most of the people in his small hometown thought Tom a slight bit crazy, he always took solace in his understanding mother who saw the great potential in Tom and believed that he had it in him to do great things. In the second movie, “Edison The Man”, Spencer Tracy played Tom as a young twenty-two year old man who moved to New York city to begin a lifetime of experimenting, in failures along with all his successes. It is in that movie during the process of creating the first light bulb, that a young boy was given a second chance by Thomas to carry a brand new invention of the light bulb upstairs from one lab to the other. As he did, the boy tripped and broke the precious invention that took 24 hours to create and would take another 24 hours to create another one. As the team worked tirelessly to redo what had been destroyed, tired and in need of sleep and rest, Thomas gave the second newly created bulb once again to the young boy and told him, to try again. He simply gave him a second chance. That was my favorite part of the whole movie.

A second chance! Oh how we all want and need those second, third and even sometimes a fourth chance at something. I am reminded of a scripture in the book of Luke chapter 13:6-9 that tells the story of a man that had a fig tree planted in his vineyard. One day the owner went to inspect the tree’s fruit, yet it had none. The owner then went to the caretaker that look after the vineyard and told him that for three years he had inspected that tree and found that it had not produced any fruit, so to cut it down. He said that there was no reason for  the vine to simply use up the nutrients in the soil if it was not going to produce any fruit. The care taker replied to the owner to leave it one more year, and during that time, he would dig around it and fertilize it….and with his added help, maybe the vine would produce fruit the following year. Then, he said, if it does not, then cut it down.  

Jesus was wanting us to see the real message in that parable….the message is, that God expects us to produce His fruit if we claim to be His children. He has every right to remove us if we are simply basking in the benefits of the soil that we are planted in Christ Jesus. On our behalf, Jesus, as our mediator to the Father and through His shed blood on the cross which gives Him the right to tend us, as the caretaker tends the vineyard for His Master, pleads to the Father for us to have another chance! He even goes as far as digging in and around as the caretaker did in Luke to break up the fallow ground around our hearts and in our lives, so that His word being planted in us works effectively, to accomplish what He is trying to help us see and do. Like Thomas Edison’s kind and understanding mother, we too can take solace in the fact that Jesus sees in us the potential that we do not see ourselves and longs to help us reach it.

What really matters in us having those extra chances is, “What will we do about it?”, or should I say, “What will we do with our second chance?” God’s word teaches us that we are held accountable for them. Romans 6:6-12 tells us,  “We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. For whoever has died is freed from sin. But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. The death he died, he died to sin, once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore, do not let sin exercise dominion in your mortal bodies, to make you obey their passions.” While we are free to try again and again, we are reminded that we are to strive to get it right and we can because we are no longer enslaved to our wrong choices, because they no longer have dominion over us, but we are set free, to do the right thing!

Live for Jesus, that's what matters my friend!

Loving you today,

Bren

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Christmas is my favorite time of year. I don’t have any problems saying “Merry Christmas”, “Happy Holidays”, “Seasons Greetings”. Nor do I have any problems with the giving of gifts or eating with family and friends that I love as we celebrate the most joyous of all occasions. For Christmas truly is a “Happy Holiday” that makes a “Merry Christmas” as it brings the “Season’s Greetings” from God, who gave the greatest gift Himself in the form of His only Son; and we are encouraged to celebrate it as such in fellowship with one another! He purchased His gift for the world at great cost. If celebrating Christmas is symbolic of the love of God towards men, then we should seek to celebrate it! God tells us to seek peace and pursue it. While many may seek after it, most will fall short in pursuing it. Peace is a commodity that the world seeks and for those that find it, treasure it. Our world leaders work steadfast to bring peace to the world. Yet God tells us that He has already given the world peace, but the world has rejected it as a whole. Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you. I do not give it to you as the world gives…John 14:27. He means, that He gives inner peace. Peace with himself, peace with ourselves, peace with each other, peace with our past, peace with our future, peace with our finances, peace in the midst of tribulations, peace in relationships, peace in our jobs. The peace that Jesus offers is a peace that means completion, wholeness, satisfaction and rest; but it must be pursued after.  Praying that God’s peace finds its way into your heart and home this Holiday Season!

Psalm 34:14 “Seek peace and pursue it”… “Pursue Him”!

God’s Blessings on your Holidays and the New Year coming!

We love you!

Charles & Brenda Parsons