It is said when we do not learn from history, we are doomed to repeat it. We are living in a time when that warning feels especially true.
Adam and Eve had everything they could have possibly wanted. They could have eaten the fruit of any tree in the garden except one.
God told them not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. He told them to do so would result in death.
God did not say He would kill them. He simply told them what the results of their own actions would be.
So what was the big deal about this tree? How could a tree that had good in it be that evil?
Eve did not know. In fact, when she realized there were things she did not know, she felt a pang of a feeling she didn’t understand. She felt deprived.
Satan smiled. His little pin prick was working.
He moved in closer. Like an expert salesman, he offered her the one thing she thought she didn’t have. He offered her wisdom.
Now this was not real wisdom. It was artificial through and through. But satan tried to sweeten the pot by telling Eve she could know all God knew.
Eve fell for satan’s line. She thought she could improve on what God had already given her. Satan’s bait and switch was working.
Eve exchanged gratitude to God for a power trip of getting what she thought was missing.
The results were disastrous. Adam and Eve got exactly what God had warned them about. They had knowledge of good and evil all mixed together in a true satanic brew.
They could no longer tell the difference between good and evil. Good looked evil. Evil looked good. Confusion and fear overtook them.
Satan laughed. He knew that even as limited as the humans were, they would never go for pure evil. He always needed some good to coat his evil.
He was not even above cloaking his evil in religion. Actually some of his best workers were religious people.
If his victims hesitated before choosing what he offered, he told them what was good and what was bad. After he had softened them up, they did not see him as a dictator. They saw him as their defender of all truth. They thought they could trust him.
If satan’s victims continued to hesitate, he enticed others to join him in pointing out what was good and what was bad. Even having one other person agree ramped up the possibility of false labeling. Eve did not eat alone. She waited for Adam to join her.
Beyond that, satan knew how to work a crowd. Having a bunch of people together believing and acting on his lies was satan’s favorite.
Satan continues to use this tactic today. Many will concede some things are bad (they rarely say evil), but they say, “It was necessary. The end justifies the means.” Or they will just simply turn away and say, “oh it’s not that bad, people are just over reacting.”
When people get confused, satan puts on whatever body he needs to and says, “Don’t worry. I will tell you what is true and what is false. You can trust me. I will tell you what is very good and what is very bad.”
Satan wants us to believe he is the way, the truth and the life. But he isn’t. He lies.
Jesus said,
“He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”
John 8:44
So what do you do if you already fell for satan’s lies?
Turn around and praise God He is still with you. Ask Him to show you The Real Truth. Walk His Way. Rejoice in the good Life.
If satan tries to deceive you again (and he will), remember Who God is. God is Love. Test every thought and every action by that one standard. Is it Love?
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
Some years ago I was invited into the practice of selecting one word to use as a focal point for the next year.
The word selection was not to be just one I selected because I liked it or thought it catchy or encouraging, It was to be a word God gave me. It was to be His Personal Gift to me to carry with me through the year, an ever present reminder of His Presence.
It turned out to be an intriguing experience. I learned early on I could not predict God. My Word was sometimes for encouragement. But it was also sometimes a Word to prod me back to the right path when I faltered.
The Word also led me to God’s other Words, Words recorded and passed down through the years to me and other. Words that stood as Truth. Words that gave Light.
As I prayed about my Word for 2026, The Word that came to mind was NOW. I smiled. And then I instantly realized how challenging that might be for me.
I am a person who enjoys reliving the best parts of my past. Memories are a God given blessing. But we are not created to perpetually live in the “good old days.”
We are also not created to be burdened by memories of “the bad old days.” If we even give them a passing thought, it should be to thank God for getting us through them and bringing us to better days.
I also am a planner. I love organizing things and setting goals for the future. I love the feeling of success when a goal is accomplished and I can already forecast where I am headed next.
My life for the past couple of years decidedly put a crimp in my five year planning. And this past year has brought events that threw out the entire thought of any planning.
I tried to embrace the thought of “this is the day The Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it.” But sometimes planning even the next minute was not possible.
So reluctantly I learned to live one moment at a time. And I discovered there was beauty there. There were things I might have missed if I had had the energy to busily be making lists and running from one activity to another.
David said in Psalm 23, “You make me lie down in green pastures.” I always thought, “If the pastures were so green, why would God have to make David lie down?”
Maybe David needed a little reminding too.
So, as I begin 2026, God is reminding me He began His Lessons in 2025 by making me lie down.
But for 2026, perhaps He wants to see, if I am given a little more freedom, if I will choose to use each moment wisely.
So I choose the word, NOW. I felt The God Wink when He said, “NOW stands for No Other Way!” 😘
Living in the NOW already is giving me a different view. Sometimes NOW means not postponing the good we can do at this time.
When we are tired or distracted by life, we sometimes believe some things can wait for tomorrow. But tomorrow the opportunity may be gone. God calls us to follow Him NOW!
A friend once wrote of Life’s moments. I also take his words with me this year.
Pat Conroy said,
“Time is a finger snap and an eye blink and you should not let a moment pass you by without taking joyous ecstatic note of it, not wasting a single moment!”
The Truth is this Word will be good for more than a year. It has no limits … no expiration date … even in eternity!
We entered the Christmas season of 2024 on a high note. We had just published our book, Christmas Rediscovered.
But before the year ended, I had an eye crisis. My left eye was partially removed in December 2024.
I began 2025 trying to adjust to the “new normal” of vision. I had begun writing another book prior to the eye crisis. God said to continue. So with my “new normal,” I wrote.
Then in the depths of a Kentucky winter, Jay got the flu. He was very ill for weeks. Then I got the flu. Jay and I communicated with barks for awhile.
But I kept writing and even while battling the flu, Jay took care of editing and all the myriad of other things that go into book publication.
On March 25,2025, Sent From Heaven was published. It was our true miracle book!
The cold winter turned into a beautiful Kentucky spring. We were once again on a high note. Both books were (and are) available for purchase through Amazon.
Besides that, we put the audio versions on my blog site. You can click on the title of the book at the top of the home page and I will be happy to tell you the story!
Then came summer. Jay developed a spontaneous nosebleed, which required emergency room intervention to get it stopped.
A week later what started as neck pain for me turned out to be the beginning of a new crisis.
Basically my neck bones were putting pressure on my spinal cord. The pressure caused a variety of neurological symptoms.
In July, I had neck surgery to relieve the cervical spine compression. The positive results were worth the pain and agony that followed, but still recovery was long and brutal.
I am happy to report I have made steady progress. I am able to walk again, and even dance! I can feel parts of my body I could not feel before surgery. I can write again!
Beyond that, we were given so many other gifts throughout our adventures this year. There were so many places where it looked like the end of the road … and then God miraculously intervened.
He brought kind, compassionate people into our life. We might never have met them except through the circumstances we were in.
We had the opportunity to pray for others and receive the blessings of prayers from others.
We were able to give books as gifts. God provided the books as “loaves and fishes” before we needed them. Our books have gone places we never imagined they would go.
Our family and friends from near and far kept up the prayer supports and encouragement.
It has also been a time of testing. We were faced with very difficult circumstances where we could not stand (literally and figuratively) on our own.
Old and new fears threatened our peace. We had to consider whether what we had professed as our faith in good times was really going to be true in unbelievably difficult times.
Jay taught me a Truth many years ago. He said, “Maybe you should stop asking why things happen as they do, and just seek to know what God wants you to know now.”
So what did we learn on this roller coaster ride in 2025?
Wherever we are, in whatever circumstances, we are with God.
God’s Timing is always perfect. The challenging things did not all happen at the same time.
God does not go with us. He does not follow us. We go with Him. We follow Him. Wherever we go or stay is the mission field.
Our circumstances do not change God’s Presence, God’s Promises or God’s Plan.
God has a Plan that is much bigger than us alone. Sometimes God works through us to minister to others. Sometimes God brings others into our life to minister to us.
God knows The Plan, but He does not always tell us the details. He said His Ways are not our ways.
We may not understand why things happen as they do, but we can trust God is going to bring everything together for good.
We will continue to do what Paul said we should do.
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer!
Romans 12:12
As we look toward 2026, we do so with profound gratitude for all our many blessings. Happy New Year to all of you!
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.
Zachariah did not believe. He was stopped from speaking unbelief. When he agreed with God’s Word and confirmed his son’s name, he could speak again.
Elizabeth gave thanks God had removed what she felt was her shame in not being able to conceive. God accepted her gratitude and forgave her pride.
Joseph listened quietly and obeyed, even when he was asked to do things that were far from his plans.
Mary questioned how God would do it, but she did not question God’s right to use her in any way He chose. She submitted her whole self to God’s Perfect Will.
Mary said,
“I AM The Lord’s Servant. May Your Word to me be fulfilled.”
At that moment, God’s Name I AM became One with Mary, His Beloved.
Heaven and earth joined.
At that moment, The Word became flesh!
As we enter a season of new beginnings, reflect on what Words God is bringing to you.
Can you say with Mary,
“I AM The Lord’s Servant. May Your Word to me be fulfilled!”
When I was growing up, we all knew what we would be doing the day after Christmas. We would be writing thank you notes.
Not only was my mother very emphatic that we write them, she was also emphatic that we write them soon
after we received the gifts.
And she put in another wrinkle. She said we should say how we planned to use it.
Example: “Thank you for the new mixing bowl. You know I love to cook and I plan to bake a chocolate cake this afternoon, using my new mixing bowl.”
What if we thought of every gift God has given us and we said, “Thank You, God, for giving me _______. I look forward to using it in this way.”
Think of it. “Thank You, God, for our house. I plan to use it in this way.”
“Thank You, God, for my vision … my
hearing … etc. I plan to use it in this way.”
Have you ever received a gift you did not want or thought you could not use? What could be the purpose in receiving a gift we can’t use?
Let’s take the example of a child receiving a shirt that is too big, but one that he can grow into and look forward
to wearing next year.
Sometimes God’s Gifts entice us to wait a little while to use them … to keep us reaching to the future.
What about the shirt that is too small? What could that teach us? Sometimes it is a gentle reminder we need to change something about ourselves to fit in that nice gift.
Sometimes it is a reminder we have grown. Sometimes we start thinking we are not growing spiritually, and then something comes along that shows us we have grown from where we were last year or even last month.
Sometimes we are given gifts to give to others. I have received some gifts I never personally used, but I gave them as gifts to others, who really could use them.
God had provided two gifts. One was the gift that went to the person who really needed it. The other was God’s real Gift to me in getting the pleasure of being
His delivery girl and sharing in the joy of giving.
When you get a gift you think you will never use, stop a minute and ask God, “Would You like me to deliver this to someone else?”
What about the gift we can’t even identify? Everyone in our family still smiles at the memory of gifts from a
favorite relative, who never missed giving my parents a gift each Christmas.
The only problem was frequently, the gifts were so unique no one knew exactly what they were. A weird shaped paperweight or a brass apple corer or
something none of us could ever identify.
Dutifully after Christmas, my mother would write the thank you letter. However, when you don’t know what
you have received, it is hard to know how to say thank you!
We laughed as we read her thank you notes, which sometimes sounded like this:
“Thank you for the interesting gift. You always put such thought into getting us the perfect gift. We certainly look forward to using it.”
And of course, the part that she did not write … was “when we figure out what
it is.”
Sometimes we detect that God has given us gifts, but they were not quite what we expected. However, they often turn out to be wonderful gifts beyond our wildest imagination, once we figure out what they are.
Accept those gifts with gratitude, thank the Lord for them and wait for their purpose to be revealed.
I invite you to try my mother’s principles of writing thank you notes. Think of the gifts God has given you.
Thank Him right away.
Identify each gift by name and tell Him how you plan to use it.
And if it’s some of those gifts you can’t quite identify yet, thank God that He knows the Plans He has for you and they are good plans. Look forward to unwrapping those gifts a little bit at a time.
“For I know the Plans I have for you,”
declares The Lord, “Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, Plans to give you hope and a future.”
Jeremiah 29:11
Every good and perfect Gift is from above, coming down from The Father
of The Heavenly Lights, Who does not change like shifting shadows.
To listen to the audio of this post, follow the link.
Isaiah prophesied,
“Therefore The Lord Himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a Son, and shall call His Name Immanuel.”
Isaiah 7:14
Matthew added a very important detail. He told us what Immanuel means.
Immanuel means “God with us” (Matthew 1:23)
Jesus has often been portrayed as a traveling companion, a roommate, a good friend, even a marriage partner.
Jesus has been presented as being separate from God. He has been portrayed as being separate from us. He has been portrayed as going away and coming back one day.
Jesus has been portrayed as someone we can invite in or dismiss when we choose. His Presence has been presented as dependent on our performance … even a performance of our generating enough faith to believe in Him.
But Jesus makes it clear He is not here to give a performance test. He is here as a Gift! And He makes it clear Who is giving The Gift.
Jesus said,
“I and The Father are One.”
John 10:30
Jesus and God are One!
But the news gets even better. Jesus revealed The One is One with us. He is God with us!
Jesus said,
“On that day you will realize that I am in My Father, and you are in Me, and I am in you.”
John 14:20
Jesus said,
“The Kingdom of God is within you.”
Luke 17:21
How could we have something inside us and not know it?
We had a heart inside us from the beginning, but we may not have known it. Even as it was faithfully doing its job of keeping us alive, we did not know it was there.
And then one day we did. We learned something new. We felt a pulse. We heard a heartbeat. We recognized we had a heart!
Our heart is only one of the many Gifts God has already given us.
His Greatest Gift is The Gift of Himself He put inside each one of us. Immanuel means God is with us .. all of us. We have had God with us from our beginning. And He is never going to leave.
Jesus said,
“Be sure of this. I am with you always!”
Matthew 28:20
Look past the manger. Look within.
Feel your pulse. Recognize Who is knocking on the door of your heart from within to remind you He is indeed with you always! He always has been and will be forever!
Look again at the name, Jesus. You may be surprised by another God wink.
You are in Him and He is in you.
JesUs.
Now look again. We, all of us, are in Him and He is in us!
JesUS!
I invite you to enjoy this song and be thankful for the best Gift you will ever receive! Merry Christmas!
And if you have somehow lost track of time, there are plenty of reminders that there are only a few days left.
Some greet the news with eager anticipation. Some panic. Some dread it. Some are actually relieved that this season is almost over and their lives can get back to “normal.”
Where is Jesus in the midst of all this anticipation?
Some seem to think He will make a grand entrance on Christmas, amid the joyful singing of Christmas carols.
He could, but we need to remember He always had a knack for showing up at times and in places people least expected Him.
Certainly no one expected God to quietly come to earth through a virgin (although He had announced it through His Prophets long before).
No one thought His first bed would be a feeding trough for animals.
Mary and Joseph had plans for their future. They never expected their life would include raising The Lord of The Universe.
The shepherds never expected they would receive a glorious invitation to welcome God, newly revealed in human skin.
Later, men who were having an ordinary work day fishing, never expected Jesus to drop in and totally change their life in a moment.
The woman at the well thought she understood everything there was to know about The Messiah Who would come one day. But she did not know she was already in His Presence.
Zacchaeus was just curious about this itinerant preacher who was getting so much attention. He had no idea that before the day was out, He would be having dinner at his own house with Jesus.
The teachers of the law knew the rules. They defended their traditions with a vengeance. They did not know they were in The Presence of The One Who came to transform their traditions into freedom … their vengeance into Love.
Even though His Disciples had witnessed Jesus doing many miracles, they did not expect to see Him walking toward them on the water. They thought He was a ghost.
Mary Magdalene knew Jesus well. She had heard Him foretell His Death and Resurrection. But she did not recognize Him. She thought He was the gardener.
Herod, Pilate and the men who crucified Jesus did not recognize Him. They knew His Name. But they did not know Him.
Jesus said and did many important things.
As you anticipate celebrating the day designated as Jesus’ Birthday, consider these.
Who do you say that I am?
Matthew 16:15
I am in you and you are in Me.
John 14:20
I am with you always.
Matthew 28:20
You will see Me.
John 16:16
Where do you see Jesus now?
Start by looking in the mirror. Then look around. He is everywhere, waiting for you to discover Him.
You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart!
We pray The Lord’s Prayer and ask that God’s Kingdom come on earth as it is in Heaven.
We ask that His Will be done.
But we often live as if the way to establish God’s Kingdom is by getting rid of all those who will not fit in our kingdom.
We are not sure His Will is in our best interest. We prefer He line up with our will.
We want to post the Ten Commandments, but can’t quote them without looking. Even more concerning is we don’t obey them ourselves. We just want to be sure everyone else does.
We love Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. We think it is nice He wants to bless people. But we are waiting for Him to do it. He is waiting for us to deliver His Blessings.
We like the sound of “blessed are the peacemakers.” We would like people to make the world and our life more peaceful.
We don’t want to make peace for people who don’t make peace for us first.
We sing about Peace on earth, especially at Christmas. We get a goose bump or two until the music stops and the lights go dark.
And we sit in the stillness thinking about Peace. Is it really possible to have Peace on earth?
Yes.
If we are all in to delivering Jesus’ kind of Peace, the kind that made Jesus a true Child of God.
You might think that is a task too big. But we can begin now by receiving The Peace Jesus is here to give us.
Then when we have received it, we can share it with others. Peace, Love and Joy come from The Fountain within that will never go dry. The more we give, the more it flows through us.
I invite you to listen to this beautiful song by Casting Crowns. The first time through, receive The Peace that is offered.
The second time, think of people who need Jesus’ Peace and pray it for them.
Would you give a gift you would like, but cannot enjoy yourself?
My father grew many crops in his garden. Most of them were things he could not eat due to a medical condition.
I asked him why he chose to do that. He told me he enjoyed having something to give other people. Their joy in receiving brought joy to him.
A friend had an advanced dental condition that restricted her diet to liquids. Yet she spent a great deal of time baking foods she took to others. Like my father, her joy came through the act of giving others joy.
We have enjoyed a magnificent Christmas Light Show this season. It comes from the home of a man who is blind. For many years, he has worked to send light and joy out into the world, even though he cannot see all of it. Like my father and my friend, his joy comes through the joy others receive.
In this season of celebrating Jesus’ Birth, you may not be feeling joyful. However, if you make a conscious choice to do what you can to bring joy to others, you will find that Joy Jesus promised springing up in you.
Jesus came not for what He could get from us, but for what He could give us. Receive it and pass it on!
I have told you these things so that My Joy and delight may be in you, and that your joy may be made full and complete and overflowing!
