The Saga of the Mouse

 "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." 

-Matthew 19:26

Preparing Our Hearts - Day 4

....the words of Isaiah the prophet, "The voice of one calling in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him'."  --Luke 3:4

Christmas is only four days away!  Each day I will be re-posting a Christmas post from the past as we prepare our hearts to celebrate Christ coming into the world....

Good News!

Link to scripture:  Matthew 19:26

Hope and Faith

"We've been warned against offering the people of this nation false hope.  But in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope." --Barack Obama

Today is the official Inauguration of President Obama's second term in office.  I found the above quote in today's reading in Alan Cohen's "A Daily Dose of Sanity".  Cohen went on to quote President Obama's response when asked if he had doubts whether or not he'd win the election.  He said, "Yes, I had doubts that I would be elected.  But I did not doubt that I could be elected."

I think this is why I supported Barack Obama's bid for the Presidency then and again for another term.  His outlook on life and what he hoped to accomplish as President has always been positive and from a desire to serve.  And even though he did not accomplish everything he'd hoped to accomplish in his first term, I think he will be an even better President for having learned more about his own strengths and weaknesses and how he should proceed. 

I think he sets a wonderful example of what faith is--it's believing that anything is possible and then seeking to do one's part in making it happen.  Cohen points out that we close the door to miracles when we start believing in our limitations and those of others instead of believing that anything is possible.  Christians, of all people, should not have to be reminded of this!  Jesus tells us, "With God all things are possible."

Father, may I never lose sight of the possibilities that are always there waiting for me to claim if I would just believe.

Link to scripture:  Matthew 19:26

Take action:  Lord, Help Me to Know You

Good News!

"A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song." --Frank & Ernest

♫Hark! The Herald Angels Sing♫

Christmas Eve afternoon the snow began to fall.  I knew flurries were predicted but it was quite a surprise to see it stick and start to accumulate.  In the midst of my busyness I noticed there were quite a few birds about the yard, so I scrounged around the garage to locate an old bird feeder I could hang from the bracket outside the screened front porch.... 

I filled it with sunflower seeds.  Ken saw the first Cardinal, a bright-red male, arrive and then herald the new feeding station in the neighborhood....       ♫Cardinal Song♫

When he told me birds started flocking in from all over I couldn't help but think of God's Good News!  The angels heralded the coming of Christ and the shepherds gathered to listen.  

This morning while writing about it I realized the analogy also applies to us who have received the Good News--the Holy Spirit, God in us.  The Bread of Life that feeds us is something we should be singing about as the Cardinal did--not because we have all the answers but because we have a song of love in our hearts.  The Cardinal could not keep it to himself nor should we keep our Good News to ourselves.  

So why is it so hard for some of us to proclaim the Good News?  I think that is the question we each need to be asking ourselves.  As each excuse rises up it should be tossed aside or else we'll never get to the truth of the matter.....even if it means continuing to ask the question every day until you get an answer that leads to a solution.

Father, it's too easy to find reasons for our lapses.  They're all excuses.  You are God of all and in You and through You we have everything we need to unlock our hearts so that we can sing Your song of Love and Peace and Hope.  May I be so present in my life that I am aware of this from moment to moment.

Link to scripture:  Matthew 19:26

Take action:  How to Increase Faith