Light Shines in the Darkness

Have you experienced the aurora borealis, better known as the northern lights? These glowing lights appear in the clear skies of several northern countries. Alaska is the best place to view them in the US from late August through mid-April between 9:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m.

Most commonly, the light glows green or white, but may appear pink or red. I’ve seen pictures with yellow, blue, and purple too.

The aurora borealis shines light that may be seen in the darkest hours of the year, and Christ came to reveal God’s light to us in our darkest hours.

As I read the following verse earlier this week, I considered the birth of my Savior and Lord. The reference to light guides us through the story of our Lord’s birth.

Light shines in the darkness for the godly.
Psalm 112:4a, NLT

Shepherds kept watch over their sheep at night when an angel appeared.

And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear.
Luke 2:9, ESV

An angel brought them the good news that their Savior was born. The shepherds hurried to find this miracle baby.

Eight days later, Mary and Joseph took Jesus to the temple to be circumcised. A righteous man, Simeon, took the baby in his arms and praised God.

I have seen your salvation, which you have prepared for all people. He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!
Luke 2:30-32, NLT 

Simeon prophesied Jesus was the light.

Also, light shone in the darkness and led the way for wise men from the east to follow a bright star for many miles to worship the King.

And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.
Matthew 2:9b-10, ESV

Christ is the light who shines in the darkness. He led lowly shepherds and mighty wise men to Him by revealing His light. He continues to shine His light through us and leads us on our way.

Have you submitted your life to the Lord? If not, this Christmas could be your merriest one ever if you surrender yourself to Him.

Allow Christ to not only fill you with His light but with His hope, peace, joy and love.

Shine through us, Lord. May we honor You in what we say and do.

Merry Christmas!

Attack Lies With Truth

In writing fiction, the main character should begin their journey believing a lie. In my current work in progress, the lie my heroine, Lanie, clings to resulted in her turning from her faith in God.

My hero, Luke, also believes a lie, but he remained strong in his faith—until Lanie moved back to the small town where the series takes place. He thought he’d dealt with his past after they parted ways. He had forgiven her, but bitterness nags at his heart when he sees her again.

I can’t imagine walking away from the Lord as Lanie did. But I have dealt with bitterness—resentment toward someone when I didn’t know the truth about the situation. And how many people have hurt me because I misinterpreted what they said?

When I considered whether I should retire, a coworker told me it was time. What? Did she want me gone? I wondered if she felt I was too old to continue working. This bothered me for a few days, and I prayed against the bitterness growing inside of me. I then realized she may have meant I’d worked hard, and it was time for me to relax and enjoy my golden years.

Why do we do that? The lie of believing the worst.

What other lies do we tell ourselves? We may not think we have much to offer, but here are four verses declaring what God says about us if we’ve surrendered our lives to the Lord.

When disheartened by the lie that God doesn’t love you—

You are Christ’s friend, and He loves you dearly. 

Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down
his life for his friends.
John 15:13 (ESV)

When frustrated, thinking you’re not good enough—

You are the temple of God, and the Holy Spirit lives in you.

Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that
God’s Spirit dwells in you?
1 Corinthians 3:16 (ESV)

When discouraged by the lie that God can’t use you because of your past—

You are free from condemnation. 

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.
Romans 8:1-2 (ESV)

When dejected and feeling like a failure—

You are God’s workmanship. 

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for
good works, which God prepared beforehand,
that we should walk in them.
Ephesians 2:10 (ESV)

What overcomes those lies we believe? Truth! And where do we find the truth? In God’s Word.

May God’s Word fill you with joy today as you look to Him for truth.

Photo by Uday Mittal - Unsplash

Wild Moose Chase

You read that correctly. This post is not about a wild goose chase but a wild moose chase. My husband and I traveled to Maine to find a moose. We found geese but no meese! (LOL!)

My two most recent blog posts have dealt with unmet expectations and disappointments. Forget that. Today, I want to share God’s blessings. The Lord rewarded us with many wins before and after we looked for moose.

We spent a few days in Greenville and Moosehead Lake. Although we took a moose safari with no moose sightings, we visited a state park and ventured out into swamp areas. There we saw colorful mushrooms, pileated woodpeckers, red squirrels (they were too fast for a photo shoot), chipmunks, and what may have been a snowshoe hare. One morning we watched three otters play in a pond where we stopped to look for moose.

We stayed at an Airbnb with an amazing view a short distance from town. The maple trees were just beginning their vibrant change. After three nights in Greenville, we traveled east to Acadia National Park.

A lovely bed-and-breakfast near Lamoine Beach became our home base for three nights. We visited Bar Harbor and photographed the town from the top of Cadillac Mountain. We hiked a few trails and found a delightful spot where Monarch butterflies frolicked overhead. There had to be twenty or more! How can an insect bring me pleasure?

The Lord blessed us with breathtaking views of the surrounding bays, warm-hearted people, wonderful breakfasts at the bed-and-breakfast, and time to enjoy the great outdoors with my sweetheart.

We returned home late Saturday night and attended church the following morning. Our church presents a special three-part series once a year. This was week two of At the Movies. The featured movie was Remember the Titans. At the end of the service, they asked us to check the number on the tickets left on our chairs. The winner received two tickets to a Tennessee Titans football game. I held the winning ticket!

I’ve heard God has a sense of humor. If I do research on the Titans’ team, will I find a player with the nickname Moose? Funny? Not funny!

I hope you enjoy the pictures from our wild moose chase, even though there were no moose to photograph. Maine is the second largest state in the United States for moose population. The top state is Alaska. If you’ve seen a moose in the wild, please let me know where. We may add Alaska and your location to our bucket list. If I don’t find a moose here in the USA, do you think they’ll be in heaven? I really hope to see one.

Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous;
sing, all you who are upright in heart!
Psalm 32:11, NIV

Banner Photo by Lesly Derksen - Unsplash

He's Holding on To You

My husband and I like to hike. We spend time in God’s creation to appreciate His beauty, get needed exercise, and to be together as a couple. On an outing last week, we traveled over sixty miles to visit South Cumberland State Park here in Tennessee. We have hikes much closer to home, but we drove to a park near the setting of my fictional series, Love in Pleasant Springs. Though we didn’t see what we’d hoped to find.

We visited Foster Falls, where Luke, the hero in Book Two, plans to propose to Lanie, the heroine. But his plan falls through because of an interruption. Don’t worry! It’s a romance! He’ll get another chance.

Despite a glitch in his plans, they enjoy a lovely view of the waterfall, a picnic, and a kiss or two. They’re together and happy after several misunderstandings and disappointments in their stormy relationship.

Kenn and I endured a hiccup, too, on our hike. We made a steep, rocky climb down to the waterfall and crossed a suspension bridge near the base of the falls. But what we saw differed from my two characters. Only a trickle of water fell into the gorge below.

Were we disappointed after what some might consider a strenuous trail for two senior citizens? A little. But I got what I wanted—to see and sense the location for a scene in my story. What might the characters experience while there? Could they enjoy a picnic at the falls, or would they need to hike back to the trailhead to eat their dinner? Was the suspension bridge wobbly? How could that play into my story?

Kenn and I shared special moments that day. We were alone to appreciate God’s goodness and peace. After several minutes and many photos, we made the trek back to our car. The upward climb out of the gorge was steep, but worth it. We even found another trail to hike. We weren’t ready to quit.

Life is like that, isn’t it? Our plans don’t always turn out as we envisioned. Disappointments come, and we may want to give up. But God gives us strength to keep going.

I love the Bible’s stories of faith and trust. Stories of people with problems and triumphs we can learn from. God hasn’t changed. His Word applies to us today. We find hope and determination to persevere. God walks alongside us through our disappointments and struggles. Hang onto Him and don’t let go! He’s holding on to you!

Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint,
and to him who has no might he increases strength.
Isaiah 40:28-29, ESV

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