This year, I find my thoughts focused on what I do and do not have. Most people at some time or another feel a bit deprived. We all know people who just seem to have more than we do. They live in bigger homes, wear better quality clothes, drive newer cars, and take longer vacations to more inviting places. Meanwhile, we sacrifice, pray, and volunteer all kinds of time at church and perhaps community organizations, too, but seem to go without the things we want—sometimes without things we feel we really, really need.

These thoughts bring Jonah to mind. God gave him three days of time-out, so to speak, in the whale. There, during the quiet minutes and hours, he could meditate on what God wanted for him and from him. Or consider that Jesus himself spent 40 days in the desert, praying and reflecting and sacrificing even while Satan worked to dissuade him from God’s eternal plan that Jesus suffer and die to win our salvation.

As I reflect during Lent this year, my goal is to focus more on what God in his perfect love wants for me, letting that inform what I might think I need or want for myself.

God forced Jonah to contemplate. Jesus did it willingly. How about you? What might your Savior want to tell you? How might he want to change you? The weeks ahead are a perfect time to open your heart to his Word and find out.

Editor’s note: CTA’s new devotion book, “Power of the Cross,” would make the perfect guide and companion as you and others in your church meditate on the meaning of Jesus’ death during Lent this year. It’s not too late to order copies for your group or your whole congregation!

Actually, the “shadows” are not shadows. Nor are they reflections. Instead, they are projections. Stained glass does not reflect light. Rather, it permits light to pass through it.

As I sit in the worship area early in the morning, the image projected on the wall is far from clear. As the sun comes up and moves across the sky, the image formed by the light coming through the stained glass also moves. It slowly makes its way to the front of the church where, at one point, it frames a large cross. The closer the image gets to the window, the clearer the projection becomes.

This reminds me of how clear my own life becomes when I stay close to Christ and the forgiveness he freely gives through his cross. As I invest time in prayer and Bible study, a quiet peace settles in my heart, despite the changes and disturbing events swirling around me. As I take time to give of myself, I find clarity about life’s real priorities. But when I let life grow too busy, the peace and clarity fade. And I project a more distorted image of God’s glory. How thankful I am that he forgives our failures—every one of them!

And how exciting it is to think about what could happen if all of God’s people were growing daily in the kind of Son-shining-through lives he wants for us.

How will you stay close to him this week?

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

2 Corinthians 4:6 NIV

 Now he’s arrived on the doorstep of your church. You are strangers to him, and he’s a stranger to you, too. But after a few months of intentional friendship building, you start to see leadership potential in Sam. Might you consider inviting him to step forward as a lay leader?

 He may be hesitant. He may have questions:

• Do I have enough Bible knowledge?
• What if compassion isn’t my strong suit right now?
• Could this be a nudge from God to test the waters? Can I trust him?
• Is this a safe enough place to plunge in?
• How will my wife feel about it?
• Will my mentors throw me in to sink or swim alone?

If you befriend a young adult, especially one new to your church, think about opening doors for service. But think, too, about the questions and concerns that might arise. Promise to be there—and then keep your promise. Help your “Sam” to see that he can lean on Jesus, he can trust in the Lord (Proverbs 3:5).

 If you’re not sure how to say that or if you’d like to reinforce that message, consider giving “Sam” a copy of Shaped to Serve: Celebrating Your Gift of Service.

 Will you leave a legacy at your church by encouraging the next generation to step forward to serve–and then helping to equip them to do it? Their gifts are a blessing to others; help them explore the possibilities.

Joy should be everywhere, shouldn’t it? Digging out from all the December craziness, we realize Christmas isn’t just a special day on the calendar. We’re journeying to Bethlehem in faith to kneel in awe and adoration at the little baby feet of the world’s Savior, Jesus Christ. We celebrate God’s gift of love, wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger, his gift that brings joy from heaven to earth. Jesus brings joy for the world—for everyone, everywhere. 

Jesus brings joy and blessings abound—enough for everyone! Maybe joy comes to you in new memories you create with relatives from out of town, in an unexpected bonus you receive at work, or in an extra measure of the Christmas spirit you feel in your heart.

Still, even with joy surrounding us, some of us  experience the “merry side of Christmas,” only to slide quickly into despair. Our fa’s are strong early in the season, but before long, our la’s fall flat. Some of us find our joy crumpled up like a pile of discarded post-Christmas wrapping paper.

Are you lip-syncing both the fa’s and the la’s, hoping others don’t notice your struggle to smile? Certainly, not everyone agrees that it’s the most wonderful time of the year. Christmastime can be a highly charged, emotional time. So many variables toy with our level of joy. Think about it . . .

• Some dread their first Christmas without someone they loved, while others anticipate their first Christmas with someone they love.
• Some receive a helpful end-of-the-year financial windfall, while others find themselves falling more and more into debt with no help in sight.
• Some find the season invigorating, while others find it nerve-racking.
• Some couples celebrate their first Christmas as husband and wife, while others experience their first as ex-husband and ex-wife.
• Some come to life, surrounded with people, while others come to deal with loneliness, even when surrounded by people.
• Some feel overly blessed, while others feel overly stressed.

As we come to adore our Savior, each of us brings blessings as well as burdens to the manger. So let’s pause in our journey to the manger to notice the people around us. We’re traveling together, and it’s important to realize we all travel by faith. We come, only because the divine Child first journeyed from heaven to earth. His birth, death, and resurrection conquers loneliness, anxiety, stress, and all our other burdens.

 Jesus’ gift isn’t necessarily a jump-up-and-down joy, although it certainly can be that. It’s primarily a joy that settles deep in our hearts. It’s a joyful, contented peace. This divine present comes with Jesus’ presence.

Jesus brings joy to the world. He also brings joy for the world. He knows our world is filled with sin and its accompanying heartache, pain, and grief. But let there be no doubt that he’s also intimately aware of every breath you take, every word you speak, and every situation you face. And he’s aware of your need for joy. So he wraps his miraculous joy within his gifts of forgiveness, help, and hope. It’s true! Jesus brings joy for the world—for everyone, everywhere.

Come and receive. Come and worship.

Come and go . . . sharing his gifts.

Editor’s note: Several Joy for the World gifts are available from CTA this Christmas. Get yours before they’re gone!

© 2007 CTA, Inc. Permission to make photocopies or reproduce by any other mechanical or electronic means is granted only to the original purchaser and is intended for ruse within a church or other Christian organization.

 The Scripture quotation is from the King James or Authorized Version.

Strength for the Journey Pocket Tool, great as a Father's Day or Men's Ministry Gift

But before summer is truly gone, take some time to yourself to reflect and recharge for another busy school year.  My husband and I always like to go on a retreat in August.

Retreats offer an excellent opportunity to spend some quiet time with God.  Free from the distractions of everyday life, reading the Bible and engaging in prayer, blessed with serenity, retreats can provide you with the peace you may be looking for. 

When my husband goes on retreat, I like to send an expression of love along with him. There are several items available at CTA that I have enjoyed purchasing in the past. Just click here and you will see what I mean!  (There are some for us ladies, too!)

Whether taking advantage of a retreat or just carving out some special time at home, these products will help you revitalize your prayer life!

If you’re like me, you’ve cringed at the thought of not being able to leave your family a larger estate at the end of life’s journey. Let’s face it: we usually associate “legacy” with fame and fortune, clout and capital. Memorial tributes to several celebrities in recent days have done nothing to diminish that view.

Graciously, God has been whispering to me lately that my greatest legacy will be seen in the lives of the children and grandchildren who come after me. The Psalmist instructs us as men to model God’s character and sew his commandments into the fabric of family life … “so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children. Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands” (Psalm 78:6-7 NIV).

Wow! I can have an impact on generations yet to be born! Now that’s what I call a legacy.

Dads, we underestimate how much influence we have with in shaping our sons and daughters. Granddads, your role is still valuable. It gives some of us a second chance to follow our heavenly Father’s example in loving unconditionally, sacrificially.

As we commend God’s works to another generation (Psalm 145:4), he will be faithful to grant us a legacy of children who put their trust in him.

Check out CTA’s new Living a Legacy product line for Grandparents Day and other occasions.

I slipped downstairs, knowing my family would sleep for another three hours before beginning the weekly, pre-church bathroom battle. (The only male in my household of four, I try to clear out of the way early on Sundays. Dads everywhere are nodding in agreement.)

The summer morning in North Carolina was unseasonably cool, so I grabbed my Bible and headed for the screened-in back porch to enjoy some quiet time with God. I didn’t know till I got there, but there wasn’t enough light to read by yet. Besides, as I soon learned, God had a different lesson planned–one that had nothing to do with reading a few verses.

I sat silently for some time, serenaded by birds who were signaling the first signs of daylight. I also prayed, seeking the Father’s wisdom in some personal struggles I had endured. That’s when the lesson started.

Without warning, thunder rumbled in the distance, causing the birds to cease their singing. Moments later, a quick downpour could be heard making its way across our small subdivision. Lightning cracked! Thunder boomed! Dark clouds swirled. And a sheet of rain visibly marched toward me from my neighbor’s yard.     

I stood and prepared to go inside, but something in my spirit stopped me. I’m not claiming to have heard an audible voice, but everything in me was saying, “Stand still. . . . Watch and listen.”

Suddenly, the overgrown maple tree in my backyard started swaying in a southerly direction. The shifting direction of the wind seemed to sweep away the rain as well. In a matter of seconds, calmness reigned and ushered in the dawn. Playful chirping soon filled the air again.

That’s when I realized it. I can’t prove it, but I don’t think the birds ever stopped their singing. I couldn’t hear them as the storm was nearing because my ears were tuned to the rain, thunder, and lightning.

Lord, help me not to focus on the problems in my life or the noise they create. Help me instead to be still and trust in you. I want to watch you work in my life. Teach me to listen to the reminders of your continual care.

How about you? Has God ever used nature – his creation – to get your attention?