by Pastor Jeff Williams, First Baptist Church, Denton

Another “holiday” season is upon us.  I hope you are ready!  I have to admit I love this time of year.  My favorite six weeks of the year are the time from Thanksgiving to the first of the new year.  I love it all.  The decorations,  the food, the parties, the food, the friends and family, the FOOD!  OK you get the idea I like the food.  It really is the most wonderful time of the year.

But its pretty obvious that the original intent of these two “holidays” has been pushed to the side by many in our world today.  Let’s take Thanksgiving to begin with.  Wikipedia says “Thanksgiving is a harvest festival celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada.  Traditionally it is a time to give thanks for the harvest and express gratitude in general.  While perhaps religious in origin, Thanksgiving is now primarily identified as a secular holiday.”  It’s true the fourth Thursday in November has become a day, for most, to eat turkey and watch the Dallas Cowboys.

But originally it was a day to give thanks to God for his goodness and grace.  No matter what you have experienced in 2010, hardships or blessings there is something you can be thankful for this Thanksgiving. The Psalmist said, “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.”  This Thanksgiving as you watch the Cowboys and eat your turkey and spend time with family and friends be sure to give thanks to God for the good things he has done in your life and even for the hardships because it’s the hard times in life that make the good times so enjoyable.

Of course the other “holiday” we celebrate this time of year is CHRISTMAS!  Over the past few years Christmas has taken an even bigger hit than Thanksgiving.  Many retailers no longer have Christmas items they have “holiday” items.  People now put up “holiday” trees in their homes and have “holiday” parties.  Many want the term Christmas taken out of the language all together.

But the fact remains that Christmas is all about the birth of the savior of the world.  If Jesus of Nazareth had not been born as a baby in Bethlehem we would not exchange gifts and decorate our homes and do all the other things we do this time of year.  I know that many of our Christmas traditions are not Biblical in nature but instead come from other areas but the fact still remains Christmas is all about Jesus Christ and his birth.

The greatest thing about Christmas is that the baby born 2000 plus years ago grew to be a man and to die on a cross for your sins and mine and today He wants to have a relationship with you.  He wants to be your friend, your savior and the leader of your life and all you have to do is allow Him to be all of that for you!

Don’t let the world crowd out the real meaning and celebration of Thanksgiving and Christmas for you and your family.  Give thanks for all that God has done for you and for the baby born that first Christmas!  Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas to you and yours!

by The Rev. Dr. Christy Thomas, Pastor, First UMC, Krum, www.thekrumchurch.com

As July gave way to August this past summer, misery ruled.  Searing days, sagging plants, dripping people, closed doors. It always is that way, yet seems to flatten us more each year.

Smell the air now. It’s different. We might even ponder the possibility of sweaters and open windows.  Such a paradox!  As nature prepares to sleep for winter, people here in the Denton area wake from our summer hibernation, stretch our limbs, step outside and find new life.

New life, new schools, new friends, new routines.  And an ancient, unchanging God?  I wonder sometimes if we have such trouble connecting with God because we think there is no change in God’s mind.  We see it as static, unmoving, even removed from these cycles.

But why would God be changeless when everything in the world we know never stays the same?  Sit perfectly still for one minute.  Feel your heart beat.  Count your breaths.  Notice where your hands and feet rest.  Check that tenseness in your shoulder muscles.  Hear the silence, which itself is full of sounds.

In that one minute, everything changed.  Cells died, others were born. Blood moved, digestion progressed.  The earth rotated; newborn babies tasted air for the first time; the aged breathed their very last. Lovers kissed, children played, food was savored.  Fights broke out, someone starved, and another was murdered. The unethical cheated; the honest mourned. Tides progressed, water evaporated, electrical storms exploded with energy, rivers ran, rain fell, and new stars were born.

All in this minute of silence.  Not one thing stayed the same.

God holds this ever-changing world in a mysterious way you and I cannot see or understand.  But it happens, and it is part of the nature of God to celebrate change, to create the movements of seasons and the cycle of life and death, to rejoice at the hope of reconciliation and to know sorrow at hateful separation.

This God, unchanging in power and love, but celebrating the change in the created world, whispers to us in our silence.  “Be still, my restless one.  Be still; know that I am God.  Fear not, for I am with you.  I will not leave you.  An uncertain, ever-changing world finds its stability in Me.  Come, find your own center here.  I am your rock, your hiding place.  Take shelter under My wings.”

New life: found in the changeless and ever changing God.  It waits for you to awake, taste it, and make it your own.

by Jim Mann, Ph.D., Pastor
New Life Church of Denton, www.newlifedenton.org

Summer is in full swing and, if your home is anything like ours, you’re busier than ever.  The end of the school year didn’t quite slow the pace of life like you hoped.  Now, with the kids at home, there are more places to go and things to do.

But summertime can be a great time to re-acquaint yourself with you kids – between trips to the library and pool, summer camps and sleepovers.  Truth is, our children grow up so quickly that we’ll one day look back and wish we’d made more of those lazy summer days with our kids.  As my last child leaves elementary school and my oldest enters high school, these are things my wife and I have been pondering of late.

Fortunately, we’ve developed a strong family identity in our home.  I think that a family identity is a vital part of developing a child’s self identity.  Knowing the family’s character and shared beliefs, values, and even traditions gives kids a great platform from which they can discover their place in this world.  Studies show that kids who identify with their family’s values tend to get in less trouble, tend to be less promiscuous, and face less risk of drug and alcohol abuse.

But how to build a strong family identity?  Moses tells us when he says: “These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates (Deuteronomy 6:6-9, NIV).”

Your presence matters.  Moses assumes that parents will “impress” values on children because they are spending time together.  Kids see your presence as a sign of care and connectedness.  Studies show that kids in families who eat dinner together perform better in school and exhibit less negative behavior.  But when life gets too busy, we’ll often dredge up the age-old excuse that, though we don’t have quantity time together, we make it quality time.  Maybe your kids are smarter than mine, but my children don’t seem to recognize the difference.

Talk about faith.  Some of us are challenged by the idea of talking about spiritual things.  But God cares about your family and discussing Him can help build a family identity.  It will also help your children develop the strong convictions they will need as they grow.  Pray together.  Go to church together.  Read the Bible together.  Even exposing your children to God’s truth in small amounts will set them down the right path for the future.

Kids need reminders.  Moses’ description of Scriptures tied to wrists and written on doorposts is simply describing reminders…reminders why we do this, reminders why we don’t do that.  Hopefully, we don’t just give rules but also some of the reasons behind the actions we desire so they can one day make their own wise choices.

Jesus said: “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock (Matthew 7:24-25, NIV).”

This summer, take the time to help build that strong foundation your kids will need for the storms in life.

Anna Marie Jarvis, following the death of her mother on May 9, 1905 established what we know today as Mothers’ Day.  On May 8, 1914 the U.S. Congress passed a law designating the second Sunday of May as Mother’s Day.  Since that time every May we honor our mothers.  I know at my house it is THE most important day of the year!  Mothers are more than special.  When was the last time you saw a pro athlete on television say “Hi Dad!”  It’s always “Hi Mom!”  We tend to hang on people’s last words.  I’m told that soldiers on the battlefield who have been wounded and are about to die, the most frequent last word is “Mother.”  The bond we have with our mothers lasts for a lifetime and therefore we are quick to honor and show love for our mothers.

God Himself pays tribute to mothers.  As Jesus hung on the cross he asked his best friend John to take care of his mother Mary.  The Bible says John did so from that day forward.  The Bible also pays tribute to Mothers in Proverbs 31.  It is there we find the attributes of the “Ideal Mother.”

She Works Hard for Her Family – “She gets us while it is still dark and provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls.” Proverbs 31:15.  How many times do we hear of the sacrifice and hard work of mothers?  Doing whatever it takes to provide for the needs of their family.  I remember my own mother always putting me and my sibling’s needs before her own.

She is Concerned with the Needs of Others – “She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.” Proverbs 31:20.  The ideal mother not only cares for her own family but also looks out for the neighborhood kids as well.  If there is a child in need she is there with open arms to bandage a wound or feed a hungry mouth.

She Pours Wisdom Into Her Children – “She speaks with wisdom and faithful instruction is on her tongue.”  Proverbs 31:26.  We all remember words of wisdom our mother’s pounded into our brains over and over again.  It’s a mother’s wise words that can keep us out of trouble and on the right path in life.

She is Blessed by Her Family – “Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her:  Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.” Proverbs 31: 28-29.  The ideal mother is honored by her family.  One of God’s top ten commands tells us to “honor father and mother.”  When we are young that means we obey when we are adults that means we respect.  The ideal mother is always honored and blessed by her family.

Some might argue there is no such thing as the “ideal mother.”  My response would be, “you haven’t met my mother!”  Be sure to honor your mother on May 9, 2010!

by John Henry Theisen
Senior Pastor, Midway Church, Aubrey/Pilot Point

Broken roads can create a great deal of confusion, doubt, and outright fear.  They can also lead to incredible blessings.  The Bible tells us about two travelers on a road following the death of Jesus Christ (Luke 24). A third man joined them and carried on a conversation during the journey.  They discussed the events of the past few days and how they were puzzled and confused about the man they thought would be “the one”, the hoped-for Messiah.  He had died, and although there were reports of his tomb being empty, everything seemed so unclear.   Their broken hearts led to a temporary “blindness” and they were unable to perceive that the third traveler was none other than the resurrected Christ.

“Bless the Broken Road” is the title of a Grammy Award-winning song that has been recorded by several American Country and Christian music artists – most notably, Rascal Flatts.  The lyrics tell a story of pain and confusion culminating in a blessing unseen during the turmoil of the moment.

Every long lost dream
led me to where you are
Others who broke my heart
they were like Northern stars
Pointing me on my way
into your loving arms
This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you
(It’s all part of a grander plan that is coming true)

We may be blinded, numb, and confused on our own broken road.  Perhaps the loss of a relationship, job, health, finances, or some other trial has brought us to a crossroads.  Our limited insight makes it difficult for us to understand why God would allow us to go through such an experience.  This is all part of a grander plan.  Some of God’s greatest blessings are unanswered prayers. Eventually, Jesus revealed His identity to the confused travelers over a meal.   He had been with them all along.  When He broke bread and blessed it, their eyes were opened and they realized that even in the darkest moments of life, God was in control. As a matter of fact, He was providing the salvation they longed for. When King David of Israel was on a broken road, he wrote:

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted;  He rescues those whose spirits are crushed (Psalm 34:18 NLT).

Broken and blessed is not what we would choose, but it is often what God uses to make Himself known to us in a greater way. Even when we cannot see His hand, we can trust His heart that a greater plan is underway.  We don’t have to be afraid to continue down our broken road because God will meet us there.

by Rev. Dr. Christy Thomas, Pastor, First UMC in Krum
www.thekrumchurch.com

We who live in the United States, a relatively young country, and especially we who live in Texas, a relatively young state, have somewhat of a unique perspective on the New Year that may not be shared with parts of the world with longer histories.

Besides being a fairly young area, we also do not have much continuity with the past where building structures are concerned. For example, most older buildings are torn down when they become inconvenient or dated, rather than preserved.

In addition, reality TV with the multiple extreme make-over themes also perpetuate the suggestion of discontinuity with the past.  We can watch a messy family home turned into a place of neatness and order in just a few hours, or a body loss weight and become toned in just a few weeks, or a structure razed to the ground and re-built in seven days.

While those shows are fun to watch, I often wonder about the aftermath.  What happens later to the world’s messiest family when their mess has been sorted out or to someone who has quickly and with powerful and externally enforced discipline loses a lot of weight?  I’m betting past habits quickly re-appear.

Why?  Because changing the outward circumstances, while often helpful, hardly ever produces lasting internal change.  That kind of change takes a great deal of soul work and the practice of certain disciplines.

The way we were before informs the way we are now.  They cannot be disconnected, no matter how much we try to do so.

Yet often people live from the idea that they can disconnect from their pasts when they make New Years Resolutions.  We pretend our prior lives can disappear or that we can ignore the poor decisions we may have made or that we did not eat or drink all the things we should not have eaten or drunk.  Indeed we can pretend, but it won’t work.  We are those things, those successes and mistakes, those experiences, that food and drink.  All of this has been integrated into our souls and bodies.

So if we can’t escape our pasts, what other options do we have?  How about transforming our pasts?  One way of transformation is the act of thoughtful, honest, intentional forgiveness.  The Bible says that God’s mercies are new every morning. New mercies, sent our way each time we need them.

Mercy, often known as forgiveness, forms the centerpiece of much spiritual thinking.  It is through the receiving of mercies, and then offering them to others, that we take our pasts, however rocky they may have been, and transform them into more merciful and more gracious presents.

In my own experience, the most difficult person to offer mercy to is myself.  But that very act of taking our histories and bathing them in the light of fresh mercies brings joyful hope and freedom.  Let us let 2010 be the year of the merciful, both for you and for others.  Here, and only here, is true freedom.