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Love

Christmas tree with presents and fireplace with stockings --- Image by © Royalty-Free/CorbisFor God so loved the world. . . ”  John 3:16

This old familiar scripture verse defines Christmas and why we celebrate.

Christmas is filled with time commitments adding to an already hectic schedule as we make mad dashes to the store for last minute presents.

Our “have to” lists are often long and burdensome. Our love list, on the other hand, is filled with happiness and anticipation as we purchase items we sincerely believe will bring pleasure to someone we love. Both lists are necessary. The one fulfills a sense of duty and propriety – the other fills our heart with joy.

Christmas is about love

Christmas is not about Christmas trees or lights or presents under the tree although these are important. It’s about remembrance and celebration. It is about God and the love He gives us – a love that never dies, never tires, never burns out – a love freely given with the hope that as we accept it, our lives will be forever changed and transformed.

St. Paul articulated that transforming love when he wrote to the Corinthians centuries ago. The words and their message are ageless, true and appropriate for any time in history.

Love is patient and kind. It is not jealous or boastful, arrogant or rude. It doesn’t insist on it’s our own way and is not irritable or resentful and does not take pleasure in things that are wrong. Love hopes all things and endures all things.

The gift of love is wrapped within the swaddling clothes of a tiny infant who would grow up and sacrifice his life so we can have hope and salvation. If we take God’s love and gift to us out of the season of Christmas, we are left with shallow rituals that give us a spike in pleasure before dumping us back into the dull routines of life.

But like any gift, if it is left forgotten and unwrapped under the tree we will not experience the joy, anticipation and love attached to it.

May you experience hope, love and joy this Christmas.

Marlene Anderson

 

 

 

 

Hope

j0444212There have been many times in my life when things seemed hopeless – when I had run out of options and solutions and like the Psalmist, cried out to God:

 “Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer; from the end of the earth I call to thee, when my heart is faint.”

In those moments we realize we need much more than our own strength and ability to find solutions – we need God’s love, strength and wisdom. At such times we cry out for a miracle.

Hope. When we have hope there is a feeling of expectancy and trust that there is a chance or possibility that something good might happen. But it isn’t a hope placed in the human world but a trust in God and a belief that He will never desert or leave us.

Difficulties and problems will challenge us every day, some more daunting than others, which will require our ability to analyze and realize solutions. But when those adversities involve the death of loved ones, dreams and expectations or life altering events, we are left stunned and wondering what to do.

There are many stories of people who have found themselves in life threatening situations who have experienced miracles.

But what happens when we have prayed for a miracle and it doesn’t happen? Does that mean our hope has been misplaced or misguided?

I have experienced life saving miracles that supersede any rational or logical explanation. But I have also experienced the transformation of life as a result of placing my hope, faith and trust in God. The miracle then is that we are given the wisdom, strength and fortitude necessary to work through tough times and impossible circumstances.

 “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….” Jer 29:11

As we humble ourselves and place our hope and trust in God, we will be given whatever we need to face any adversity and with His help are able to handle whatever crisis or tragedy we face.

May your hope and trust this Christmas season be placed in the Son of God who came to this earth so many years ago to be our hope and salvation.

 Marlene Anderson

 

Peace

Girls Holding Plate of Mince PiesChristmas cards promote peace to our world. We tend to project that idea of peace out there – to the world at large. It suggests freedom from war and harmony with nations of opposing ideology and purposes.

Yet peace begins within each of us and it starts with making peace with God; then ourselves and radiates out towards family and friends.

Peace creates a state of quiet and tranquility within us. When we experience peace, our mind is calm and free from anxiety.

Making peace, however, sounds simpler than it is. Without having peace suggests we are in conflict with others.  Achieving peace requires agreeing to make an end to hostilities replacing it with forgiveness and harmony.

To make peace with God requires our recognition and need of His grace and forgiveness and humbly confessing our sins. To make peace with ourselves we extend that same grace and forgiveness to ourselves.

When we have experienced that grace and forgiveness, we are able to extend it to others for we recognize we too commit injustices.

May the Prince of Peace who came down to earth so long ago, meet you during this Christmas season and give you peace.

 Marlene Anderson

 

Stacks of Blessings

Family Pulling Party Favors During Christmas DinnerWhat a stack of blessings you have piled up for those who worship you,

Ready and waiting for all who run to you to escape an unkind world.”

Ps 31- The Message

In the struggles of life, blessings can seem far removed from us. I know that when I am in the thick of things, looking for blessings is the farthest thing from my mind. I want solutions – I want to make things happen – I want bad times resolved or removed.

But life does not alter reality in order to make it easier for us.

Over Thanksgiving, I visited a dear friend who was losing his battle with cancer while his loving wife tended to his needs. It had been an ongoing struggle for some time. I asked her how she was doing.

At the end of each day, she said, her husband and her would think of at least one blessing they had received that day – no matter how small. It gave them joy, smiles, peace, strength, hope and assurance that God was with them on this journey.

I know in my own life’s experiences, when I stop trying to make something happen over which I have no control, and simply let God take over and focus instead on blessings, I not only get peace, but renewed energy and expanded hope.

May your blessings continue past this Thanksgiving and that they will touch your heart and may you sing and praise God that you are not alone.

Marlene Anderson

 

 

A Thanksgiving Psalm of Blessing

Basket of Fruits and VegetablesBlessings – they are there in the everyday routines of life. But we seldom see them because we are so caught up in our jobs and work and worries. In fact, we seldom find time to spend any time with a God who has blessed us in so many ways.

Sometimes in our tragedies and sorrows we think there is nothing for which to be thankful. Yet I have found it is precisely in my tragedies and sorrows where I have found God waiting to provide comfort, strength and hope.

 “You’re blessed when you stay on course, walking steadily on the road revealed by God. You’re blessed when you follow his directions, doing your best to find him.”*

I am blessed because every day I have the freedom to make choices. I can make them by myself or I can choose to make them in harmony with God’s Word.

“That’s right – you don’t go off on your own. You walk straight along the road he set. You, God, prescribed the right way to live; now you expect us to live it.”*

As I give thanks this Thanksgiving for all of those who have shed their blood to keep this country free I am humbled by their sacrifice. I give thanks to God who has blessed our nation and our freedom.

 “Oh, that my steps might be steady, keeping to the course you set; then I’d never have any regrets in comparing my life with your counsel.”*

May your Thanksgiving be filled with remembrances of all the blessings God has given us as a nation and to each of us personally. May you find in those remembrances the strength to meet tomorrow’s challenges, the peace we seek as we walk with God, and the hope for a future where God’s love is more evident than man’s hatred for one another.

 Marlene Anderson

*The scripture quoted and highlighted is from Psalm 119, The Message, copyright 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.

 

 

Problem Solving

MP900387715My refrigerator stopped working. Like most emergencies, this did not fit into my time frame or financial budget. However, like it or not, this was a problem I had to deal with now and not later.

Like any problem, the first thing that was required was an assessment and evaluation. I had discovered the outage before my food spoiled or was totally unthawed and was able to transfer most of it to a little refrigerator in my garage.  The rest went to one of my friend’s freezer. Now I had to assess the damage and evaluate the options available to me.

Whenever I consider solutions to problems, I get as much input and information from as many sources as possible for comparison.

I took time to talk with a number of friends regarding their experiences with fairly new refrigerators. Mine was a good brand and was only ten years old. The refrigerator in my garage was over 35 years old and still working beautifully. Were appliances just not lasting anymore? What I learned was that other people were also experiencing appliances that “wore out” at an earlier age than in the past. Part of that was due to the electronics rather than the mechanical parts of today’s appliances. It didn’t make me too happy.

So what were my options and what were the pros and cons of each? I could call a repair man or purchase a new refrigerator. Repair men are not cheap. If the problem was too costly to fix then I was out the money for the service call as well as the purchase of a new refrigerator. I talked with a reputable repair man and asked his input. While he could not give me any direct answers without actually coming out, my conversation helped me to think about purchasing.

So I began the process of comparing new models, both on line and in the stores. After gathering as much information as I could, and praying about it, I gave myself a few days to “sleep on it” – time to simply allow my brain to think about my options.

In the end, I chose to buy a new refrigerator and cancelled the repair appointment.  Because I had given myself time to think about my options, I was at peace with my decision.

In today’s high power marketing, it is important to base our decisions on needs rather than just wants. Explore your options and evaluate carefully. With any problem or situation, assess and evaluate your needs, take time to get information and compare prices and options, and make your decision based on prayer and necessity rather than desirability.

Marlene Anderson

 

Devastating Storms of Life

j0447731It seems more and more of my friends and loved ones are experiencing sorrow, losses and life-threatening or devastating news. For some, it seems as though the heavens have opened up and a truck load of problems and tragedies have been dumped on them – much like the tsunami that tore through the coastal town of Japan a couple of years ago or the tornadoes that have recently ripped through the Midwest.

In a blink of an eye their lives were changed forever.

When our world has been washed out to sea or reduced to kindling, our brain struggles to comprehend what has happened.

Pictures of devastating storms can seem surreal.  But in our everyday lives, we will receive news that can seem just as life-smashing: our marriage has ended, we lost our job, our child has committed suicide, I have cancer.

Even when we have a faith in God, our brain struggles to process the magnitude of such circumstances. In shock we try to pick up the pieces and put our life back together again and we realize just how fragile life can be and how much of we take for granted.

But even in the worst of tragedies and disasters, God is waiting to help us. In my book, “Making Stress Work for You”, (available on my website), I wrote about all the times when the whirlwinds of life left me in a state of shock or panic. But God  was there offering us hope, strength and assurance.

We will be faced with unspeakable disasters and losses. When that happens, life can still hold meaning and purpose.

A few years ago I was having coffee in a local coffee shop. I started a conversation with a lady who was busy knitting. She was making comfort shawls for Hospice. What was so amazing was that she had Parkinson’s, could not hold a regular job, and was supporting an elderly mother who also had Parkinson’s who she cared for in her home. I was humbled as I marveled at her tenacity and acceptance of her life’s “tsunami”. She did not let it stop her. Instead she used her time to reach out and help others.

They are a witness to what we can do even when struck with tragedies.  They not only endure but use their misfortune as stepping stones to become stronger and more resilient.

Devastating storms will forever change our lives. However, we have a choice as to how we let those changes affect us.

We can take deep breaths, reach out and take God’s calming hand and march forward with His strength or we can remain frozen in our panic and despair.

We can challenge negative thinking, develop can-do attitudes and then put a smile on our face, roll up our sleeves and go to work.

Marlene Anderson

 

Rainy Weather

RainbowYears ago my husband and I were fortunate enough to live and work in England. We lived in a charming little town about thirty miles outside London. While my husband worked for DODDS, I commuted to London to work.

I remember vividly my initiation to their weather. I left home under a cloudless, sunny sky. Forty-five minutes later as I was leaving the Underground train station in London to walk to work, the sky had changed from beautiful blue to dark clouds that suddenly opened up in a torrential rain. Before I could make it to work I was thoroughly drenched.

Now I knew why I saw so many British people carrying umbrellas. They obviously knew more about the weather patterns than I did and left home prepared for the possibility that it might rain.

Life has a way of turning from bright blue skies to dark ominous rain clouds in the twinkling of an eye. One minute you are busy working and enjoying life and the next you find yourself drenched from an unexpected turn of events. And you’re not sure whether you should laugh or cry.

Coming to work with your clothes drenched from unexpected rain does not make a pleasant day at work. Yet I remember thinking how totally like a drowned cat I looked like and I couldn’t help but laugh.

I learned that day that when I laugh at events that otherwise would make me angry or mad, I find it much easier to deal with whatever challenge has been placed before me.  And its much more fun.

Humor is good for the soul, the attitude and your life in general.

Marlene Anderson

 

 

Losses Create Questions

j0444124When faced with death, loss, trauma or any unwanted ending, our core beliefs about life come under scrutiny. Questions about life and death and our role in it are generated.

Each of us, no matter what our faith or lack of it, will be challenged by the death of something valuable and meaningful to us. It can be the death of a person, a marriage, or our physical health.

In our losses, upsets and tragedies, we come face to face with our own mortality – what we can and cannot do and what we believe or don’t believe.

Grieving losses take time and energy. It’s hard work. Our desire to be out of pain becomes overwhelming at times; we want relief and we want it now. We are like the man in the desert dying from thirst. When given water, he gulps it down and quickly holds out his cup for more.

In our desire to return to a world of stability, we try to gulp down enough comfort, hope and peace to make it happen right away. At times it seems as though we have a hole in our cup and the wellbeing we crave drains out as fast as it is poured in.

So it is with prayers. “God fix me. Give me that shot of spiritual morphine to deaden this pain – that elixir of life to make everything okay again.” But that’s not how God works and that’s not how the world works.

Just like all the journeys we make in life, there is a process, meeting the challenges each day and slowly working through them. We can either draw closer to God during this time or push Him away.

Do prayers help?

Scientific research has shown that prayer has a healing influence in the medical arena, even when the recipient is unaware he is being prayed for. I know in my own life, I wouldn’t be where I am today without the faith to work through my struggles.

We need more than just positive thinking or determination to work through the losses in our life. We need the strength, hope and healing power of a God who loves us more than we can begin to fathom.

It is easy to get discouraged. When we feel no relief, it may seem as though prayers and questions remain unanswered. Does He hear and answer our prayers? Why don’t I feel better?

We all want that immediate response from God. But I found that when I left my pain and depressed spirit with God each morning I was given what was needed for that day.

Your idea of prayer may be different than mine. For me, prayer is not some religious ritual but a relationship. Prayer is a part of my internal dialogue – streaming of consciousness and thought. Just as in other close relationships, sometimes nothing needs to be said –there is simply a deep understanding.

You might not feel comfortable with the whole concept of prayer. If however, you have a belief in God, or want to believe, you may want to start a conversation. Begin by closing your eyes and seeing yourself having a conversation with your closest friend. Then see God as your closest friend.

What would you like to say to God if He were right there in front of you? What worries and concerns would you like to ask Him to help you with? Maybe you want to tell God about your anger and doubts but are afraid to tell Him you are angry with Him. Just tell Him as it is. Be honest. He knows all about it anyway.

And as you step out to start that relationship with God, remember that God loves you just as you are. It is not a love you earn. It is a gift.

Marlene Anderson

Memories

Laying in the leavesWe choose to pick the memories we want to focus on.

There are those moments of sweetness and revealing truth and generosity of spirit as well as those that involve thoughtless decisions, hurtful comments and painful neglect. We don’t forget one over the other – we don’t increase one’s importance over the other.

As we learn life’s truth and reality we also learn to forgive the ugly or difficult parts and use the ones of love and redeeming beauty as the building blocks of our life. We choose to become bitter or we choose to see God’s enduring creation and our ability to build on that creation.

Marlene Anderson