From Our Hearts

Holidays should be a time of joy accompanied by family and friends. There is really no need to stress over the details. It’s a time to be thankful and celebrate peace. We can eliminate most of the busyness of the holidays by simply planning ahead, and not taking on too many major projects.

As we head into the holiday season, I am reminded of the need to focus on spiritual blessings. In the midst of celebration and being surrounded by material blessings, let’s turn to the book of James. One reason I love the book of James is that along with advice to help us with our daily trials and challenges, we read in James 1:3-12 a list of benefits or blessings that come from going through trials. Let’s look closely at two of these verses.

Traditionally, Thanksgiving Day is a food-filled celebration associated with expressing gratitude to God for the harvest of His bounty. As we prepare for this Thanksgiving Day—in the midst of our food prepping, house cleaning, and entertaining, let’s pause, bow our head before God who is mighty, and note some of the great things He’s done for us—both in good times and in rough seasons.

Many of us juggle responsibilities in our homes, churches, families, and communities, feeling alone in the middle of such busyness and efforts. But there’s nothing believers will have to do or bear alone. Here's why.

The writer of Proverbs 25:11 paints this word picture about good communication, “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.” As a woman after God’s own heart, this kind of beauty should be the goal for all of your communication. Here are several of God’s keys to godly speech.

As a Christian, you have a perfect friendship in Jesus Christ. God’s Son, Jesus, chose you to be His friend. Just as with His disciples, Jesus says about you: “You are My friends…I have called you friends” (John 15:14-15). With Jesus as your friend, you really don’t need anyone else.

Recently as I went with my husband for a much-needed outing of running errands, I made a startling discovery. There is a universal language of communication that crosses all boundaries known to man. 

Not long after I accepted a position at the seminary where I received my own training, I attended a conference of professors from around the country. One of the speakers had a Ph.D. in religion and theology. It wasn’t long before it became apparent that, while this person knew a lot about God, he did not have a personal relationship with God through Christ. During a lunch break, I sat with him and initiated a conversation about salvation and the gospel message. 

Sometimes the accounts of the faithful in the Bible can feel a bit intimidating. You may wonder if you will ever transform into a man or woman with godly influence. Maybe you feel that way when you read about the woman in Proverbs 31, or when you read about the life of Paul. Paul was Jesus’ “chosen vessel” to spread the Savior’s name “before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel” (Acts 9:15). 

Becoming an empty nester presents many unexpected challenges, especially when we have been used to living in a home bustling with children. For years, our calendar was marked with school projects, sporting events, youth groups, and family meals around the table. Now we have an abundance of free time, and we want to steward it well.

The origin of forgiveness is in Genesis 3. What consequences happened after Adam and Eve rebelled against God in the Garden of Eden? First, the couple was sentenced to a life of pain and hard labor, neither of which they ever experienced before in Eden. Then they were expelled from the garden paradise they had always known and thrust into a sin-laden world to fend and provide for themselves. That’s the bad news.

When a conversation goes wrong and escalates into a battle, we have to deal with the aftermath and assess our part. It may help to ask yourself, "Am I shifting blame to others, making excuses for my actions, or am I accepting responsibility?" It’s amazing how many excuses we can come up with and how much blame shifting we do after giving in to sin.