God Is Good Even If...

                         Our Christmas card this year   

"God is good even if life isn't."

 that is what I said to my daughter as I was thinking about an annual Christmas letter again this year,  she replied "have that be it!"

It is true ..no matter how much tragedy and terrible things we have had this year...God is still good and on His throne. 

For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; 
    his faithfulness continues through all generations. Psalm 100:5

And we have blessings .....many if we take the time to notice and count.

"Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside" (Great Is Thy Faithfulness)

Everyday there are things that make me smile, laugh. People I love and who love me. God is there in every moment.

When life doesn't seem fair He is still righteous.

When life is dark He is the light

When we are weak He is strong 

When we doubt His promises hold true

When we are lost He is the way

When we are weary He carries us

When we are afraid He protects 

When we feel alone, He is near

When life is bad He is good

🙏I pray you see His blessings today.❤

Just an update: I worked on this throughout the week, and it was ready for today. 

This morning I was feeling especially blessed ...remembering the beautiful night we had.  Our children, (2 who had to video in because they are quarantined), grandchildren, my parents, sister-in-law, nephew, and my brother-in-law...gathered to celebrated Christmas last night, our first without Leah.

BUT GOD IS GOOD!  and He blessed us with things that had Leah be a part of our celebration!  From the plaid (which is what my dining room Christmas decor is) Christmas tablecloth I had found in a box of her Christmas decorations. To her ornaments that I intended to give each person....every ornament matched specifically to an individual! 

Right down to a wine glass ornament with a silly Christmas song that is my favorite!  (finding it made me laught out loud)

We lit candles and sang..."We Wish You a Merry Christmas".
  But we know she is having the merriest Christmas....She is celebrating with Jesus this year!

 

A Rugged Cross

 A young girl...bearing hope

A quiet night...ushering in the Prince of Peace

A little baby....filling us with joy
A shining star....Love lights the way 

A Rugged Cross...everything was leading to this…. because of what Christ did on that cross allows us salvation; 

 📖 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.  1 John 4:10

eternal life with the Father and the Son.

 📖 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  John 3:16

The children's story written as part of our Christmas Eve Service

A young girl carried HOPE on the road to Bethlehem.

"No room!" was what they were told

nothing but a humble stable was what awaited them

Shepherds watched over their flocks on that quiet night

"PEACE on the earth, good will to men".

was proclaimed by angels bathed in heavenly light

The angel told the shepherds, “in a manger, wrapped in cloth.

you will find a little baby”

And it is good news that will bring JOY to us all

God had a plan, a little baby was a part

and so was a rugged cross on a hill

Because God loves each of us with all His heart.

CHRIST would die on that cross, and He would rise again.

that’s not what we are celebrating now, though,

but we will when warm spring brings the rain. 

©Tracey Thompson 2021

Merry Christmas 🎄☕❤

A Shining Star

Hope was in a young girl

Peace was in a quiet night

Joy was in a small baby

A shining star- The magi, or wisemen had followed the star for a long time, understanding it’s great importance.

 📖 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was.  When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. Matthew 2:9-10

The star shone declaring God’s love. love of a Father for His Son...and His children.

 📖 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.    John 3:16

Love lights the way.. leading the way to the Son,  the Son who would then become the Light that leads the way.

 📖 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12

🙏

Thank you Lord God for loving us so much that you sent your Son.  You used a star to lead the way then…..and now we have the LIGHT of Christ to lead us.  I pray that we all follow His command to Love each other as He loves us. (John 15:12)

❤

A Little Baby

There is Hope in a Young Girl

There is Peace in a Quiet Night

3rd Advent candle 

A little baby - the joy in a child. Who can't smile at a baby?

The humble innocence of a baby fills us with joy.  But the joy that this Baby would bring would be everlasting and fill the depths of our souls.

 📖 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.  I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. John 15:10-11

That joy came with the good news of a baby's birth...THE baby's birth.

 📖 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.  An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people Luke 2:8-10

 🙏 Lord thank you that the Joy that comes from knowing you fill our hearts, our souls to overflowing.  May it spill out to all around us.    

        

📖 And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,  may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:18b-19

A Quiet Night

 2nd Advent Candle

Hope 🕯

in a young girl

A quiet night - peaceful pastures and a humble stable...where God chose to introduce His Son. To bring peace, to be Peace!🕯

📖 For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given,
    and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
    Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
 Of the greatness of his government and peace
    there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
    and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
    with justice and righteousness
    from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty
    will accomplish this. Isaiah 9:6-7

Fields and barns are peaceful at night.  There are noises, but they are usually quiet and subdued. God chose a place where animals would be sleeping for the night...not a room with even the basics of the day, for His Son to be delivered. 

He chose the peaceful country side...with its flocks and lowly shepherds to be the first to come see this Baby.

📖 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
    and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
 Luke 2 :13-20
Prayer: Thank you Lord for choosing the humble and lowly to surround Your plan for our peace and salvation. Thank you for Jesus's words to us...
📖 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27
 Amen

A Young Girl (Advent 2021)

A young girl

A quiet night

A small baby

A shining star 

A rugged Cross

I know it doesn't sound like our usual Advent themes; Hope, Peace, Joy, Love and Christ.
But as we move through Advent I hope you will see that these are the key points in the what our Christmas story is all about ...

Hope 🕯 

A young girl - hope was in an innocent,  humble girl..chosen by God
📖  The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.  But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month.  For no word from God will ever fail.”
“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.
Luke 1:28-38
With a humble heart and a reverent spirit Mary submitted herself to God's plan. After she visited her cousin Elizabeth,  she sang a song of hope.
📖  Mary’s Song
 And Mary said:
“My soul glorifies the Lord

and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has been mindful
    of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
    holy is his name.
His mercy extends to those who fear him,
    from generation to generation.

He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
    he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones
    but has lifted up the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things
    but has sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
    remembering to be merciful
to Abraham and his descendants forever,
    just as he promised our ancestors.”  Luke 1:46-55

She knew who God was, and what He could do.  She had HOPE in His promises.

My prayer 🙏❤
📖 4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.
13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:4,13

🎵 Hope For Everyone Matt Maher

Something To Be Thankful For

 Another year and nothing seems better...maybe even worse.  Still wearing masks, people still needing to quarantine, people still getting sick. Now we are arguing over vaccinations and a country ...world in turmoil and supply and worker issues,

our health care industry is strained to the max.

AND we are supposed to be thankful?

Some of us are weary, beat down, the losses and sorrow in the past year may have nearly crushed many of us. 

And some, many,, may have asked...

"Where is God in all this?"

He is where He has always been and will always be..on His throne.

📖 God reigns over the nations;

    God is seated on his holy throne. Psalm 47:8

But because He is God that doesn't mean He is way high above..unreachable, uncaring.

He provided a way to be with us; 

📖 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.  John 3:16-17

He cared that much! He sent His Son to walk among us...to teach us, to point to Him and to love us, so much He died for us. 

📖 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

He also provided for us once Christ went to sit at His right hand.

📖 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. John 14:26

God loves each one of us with an everlasting love

📖 The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying “I have loved you with an everlasting love;   I have drawn you with unfailing kindness. Jeremiah 31:3

And He is with us in all of our sorrow and grief 

📖 Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6

We were never promised lives free from grief, pain, or sorrow.

But He does promise He will be with us every step of the way.

📖 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

If we confess our sins and profess our belief in God and His Son Jesus Christ, and our faith in His death and resurrection, 

📖 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

📖 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:

 “For your sake we face death all day long;we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:35-39

And that, my friend, is something to be thankful for.

🙏My prayer for you this week is that you know Him and His love and regardless of your circumstances or situation you can be thankful, grateful and feel blessed. ❤

Especially as next week we enter into the Advent season in anticipation of the celebration of Christ's birth...God plan to be with us always!

“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). Matthew 1:23

Sing praises to God, sing praises;   

sing praises to our King, sing praises. 

For God is the King of all the earth;   sing to him a psalm of praise. Psalm 47:6-7