Old school Christmas lights ran in series so that if one bulb burned out, the entire string went dark. If you could find the faulty bulb and replace it, the series was restored, but testing each bulb often wasn’t worth the effort. For years, I saved the spare bulbs provided with each light strand I purchased. The spares were shuffled from the ornament boxes to the junk drawer to the laundry room to my closet. During our last move, I finally tossed them all.
My daddy tells me that in this way, I am like his mother, Myrtle. Nothing was wasted with her. She repurposed things before repurposing and recycling was a thing, and she was incredibly organized. She went to be with Jesus when I was only an infant. I was her first granddaughter. I know her only by pictures and stories. I have her coloring and her knees, along with a few of her more endearing habits, according to my dad. He recalls telling her of my birth.
“Mom, we have a girl!”
“Well, what is it?”
“She’s a girl, mom!”
“Well, what is it?”
My dad is the youngest of four boys. A girl, Rita Joyce, was born third, but she only survived a few hours. My dad’s older brothers had boys. My grandmother could not comprehend a girl when she fully expected another boy. Four hundred years of darkness had dimmed Israel’s eyesight. They had grown accustomed to the dark, thinking they could see clearly. The virgin gave birth to a Son who would save the people from their sins, yet they did not recognize Him.
“For the perfect Light of Truth was coming into the world and shine upon everyone. He entered into the world he created, yet the world was unaware. He came to the people he created — to those who should have received him, but they did not recognize him.”
John 1:9-11 TPT
“No one ever before gazed upon the full splendor of God except his uniquely beloved Son, who is cherished by the Father and held close to his heart.
Now that he has come to us, he has unfolded the full explanation of who God truly is!”
John 1:18 TPT
“Throughout our history God has spoken to our ancestors by his prophets in many different ways. The revelation he gave them was only a fragment at a time, building one truth upon another.”
Hebrews 1:1 TPT
The pieces were all there-the Law, the Prophets, Divine Poetry and Wisdom. As with God’s Word today, God has given us “everything we need for life and godliness.” (II Peter 1:3)
“Everything we could ever need for life and godliness has already been deposited in us by his divine power.
For all this was lavished upon us through the rich experience of knowing him who has called us by name and invited us to come to him through a glorious manifestation of his goodness.”
2 Peter 1:3 TPT
When Mary and Joseph came to the temple with the baby Jesus to make the necessary offerings to redeem their firstborn, they were bringing about the fulfillment of the Law in ways they could not imagine.
“But when the time of fulfillment had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law.
Yet all of this was so that he would redeem and set free those held hostage to the law so that we would receive our freedom and a full legal adoption as his children.
And so that we would know that we are his true children, God released the Spirit of Sonship into our hearts—moving us to cry out intimately, “My Father! My true Father!””
Galatians 4:4-6 TPT
“Simeon cradled the baby in his arms and praised God and prophesied: “Lord and Master, I am your loving servant, and now I can die content, for you have fulfilled your promise to me.
With my own eyes I have seen your Word, the Savior you sent into the world.
He will be glory for your people Israel, and the Revelation-Light for all people everywhere!””
Luke 2:28-32 TPT
“And this is God’s plan: Both Gentiles and Jews who believe the Good News share equally in the riches inherited by God’s children. Both are part of the same body, and both enjoy the promise of blessings because they belong to Christ Jesus.”
Ephesians 3:6 NLT
““Yes,” said Jesus, “but God will bless all who listen to the word of God and carefully obey everything they hear.”
The eyes of your spirit allow revelation-light to enter into your being.
When your heart is open the light floods in. But when your heart is hard and closed, the light cannot penetrate and darkness takes its place.
Open your heart and consider my words. Watch out that you do not mistake your opinions for revelation-light!
If your spirit burns with light, fully illuminated with no trace of darkness, you will be a shining lamp, reflecting rays of truth by the way you live.””
Luke 11:28, 34-36 TPT
“Eyes that focus on what is beautiful bring joy to the heart, and hearing a good report refreshes and strengthens the inner being.”
Proverbs 15:30 TPT
Whatever I desire, let me desire You more.
Whatever I seek, let me seek You more.
Whatever I love, let me love You more.
~A Prayer for the New Year by Olivia Lane on The Message SXM
“The Son is the dazzling radiance of God’s splendor, the exact expression of God’s true nature—his mirror image!
He holds the universe together and expands it by the mighty power of his spoken word.
He accomplished for us the complete cleansing of sins, and then took his seat on the highest throne at the right hand of the majestic One.”
Hebrews 1:3 TPT
“In the same way you received Jesus our Lord and Messiah by faith, continue your journey of faith, progressing further into your union with him!
Your spiritual roots go deeply into his life as you are continually infused with strength, encouraged in every way. For you are established in the faith you have absorbed and enriched by your devotion to him!
Beware that no one distracts you or intimidates you in their attempt to lead you away from Christ’s fullness by pretending to be full of wisdom when they’re filled with endless arguments of human logic.
For they operate with humanistic and clouded judgments based on the mindset of this world system, and not the anointed truths of the Anointed One.
For he is the complete fullness of deity living in human form. And our own completeness is now found in him.
We are completely filled with God as Christ’s fullness overflows within us.
He is the Head of every kingdom and authority in the universe!”
Colossians 2:6-10 TPT
“Spirit of the living God
We want to know You more and more
We’re hanging on every word
‘Cause when You speak, and when You move
When You do what only You can do
It changes us
It changes what we see and what we seek”
“So now wrap your heart tightly around the hope that lives within us, knowing that God always keeps his promises!
Discover creative ways to encourage others and to motivate them toward acts of compassion, doing beautiful works as expressions of love.
This is not the time to pull away and neglect meeting together, as some have formed the habit of doing. In fact, we should come together even more frequently, eager to encourage and urge each other onward as we anticipate that day dawning.”
Hebrews 10:23-25 TPT
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