December 12, 2009

Successful Christian Living brings you monthly information, advice and resources for living a Christ-centered life in every area. If you like this e-zine, please feel free to pass it on.

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1) Where have I been?
2) Joy to the World Inside You
3) Hard Times and a Good God

A Quick Focus

I invite you to close your eyes for just a few seconds. During that time just allow yourself to know that He is present with you. Let yourself know that He loves you, is there with you because He wants to be, and that He has a plan for not only this day but all your days.

If you find something in the way then clear it up with Him right now. If that leaves no time to read the rest of this then don't read it. Your relationship with Christ is THE most important thing in your life.

When you feel at peace - not that everything in your life is perfect - just that you know He is with you, then I invite you now to the rest of the ezine.

Where have I been?

Among other things in my life my mother was diagnosed with brain and pancreatic cancer. She came to live with me and I cared for her until she went into the arms of the Lord. It was an amazing and difficult time and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

Out of it is coming a book on how to care for someone while they are dying in your home. It is called "Peaceful Passage" and is in final editing. It should be available in the Spring of 2010.

As the baby boomers in the US are aging many of us will find ourselves caring for our elderly parents on their final passage. It seemed that I had to figure out most of this myself so this book will be a guide for others who will be asked to take this final journey with their loved one.

I am back now and looking forward to a new year with you. As always, if there is a topic you would like me to address please don't hesitate to let me know. Just use this link to contact me.

Joy to the World

Christ does not change. He is glad to be with you. No matter what you have done or not done, no matter what was done to you, even if you deliberately turned your back on Him He has not left you. “For the joy that was set before Him Christ endured the cross” it says in Hebrews. That joy was being able to be connected to man again – to be connected to you.

Joy says, “Someone is glad to be with me.” This season of Christmas is one of joy because God showed He was glad to be with us even becoming human and coming among us. But for many people joy seems to escape them. It does not have to escape you.

No matter where you are the Lord is there with you. If you were to just allow yourself to know His presence there with you right now you would find Him loving, inviting, joying in being with you. He desires to remove your shame, heal your heart and give you joy. He is glad to be with you.

Emmanuel means “God with us.” This Christmas take that truth inside you. God is with you because He wants to be. You are loved. Joy to you.

Hard Times and a Good God

In Revelation God talks about some of our events today. He is not surprised by what is happening and even foretold of it a very long time ago. He holds the outcome for all of humanity and that includes you and me. In some ways we do know what the future holds and in others we don’t know what tomorrow will bring. God is still good.

He still sent His Son to save us. He still calls the stars by name. He still holds the future and is Sovereign over it. He still loves us and is working out our character through our daily trials and blessings. He is so good that He does not leave us as we are but orchestrates our lives so that we can grow in faith and to be like Jesus. What the world is experiencing God is using to conform us to be like His Son.

I know it’d be so much easier if He just spoke this character into being in each of us but really it is about choice and faith. He asked Peter, “Who do you say that I am?” In the crisis of our day and of our daily lives that questions hangs over us. When we lose work who do we say that He is? When we lose our homes, who do we say that He is? Is He a good God only when He causes the sun to shine upon us?

Don’t be afraid in these times for a good, sovereign and almighty God loves you and is working out His plan for the world. Everything that must come to pass will. He had all this worked out before He even created the universe. You can’t trust in economics or the government or many around you but you can trust this good and faithful God.