Near the edge of the woods where my husband puts out deer corn in winter, he mounted a motion sensor light high up on a tree. When the deer show up to polish off their nightly feast, the sensor triggers the light and for about thirty seconds, silhouettes are visible along with the occasional flash of eyes. When the weather was warmer, Thomas asked his mom if he could have his Bible story and prayers on the front porch in case the deer showed up. Several different nights he went to bed disappointed but once the temperatures turned cooler, he finally got to see the deer for himself.
We were just clearing away the dinner dishes and heading across the living room to the bathtub when Thomas nearly jumped out of his skin, crying, āThe light came on! The deer are out there!ā His mom shushed him as Poppy gently opened the front door. The largest buck heard the latch click from over two hundred yards away. Everyone froze. It took a moment for our eyes to adjust. The light timed out but before Thomas could let out a sigh, it was back on again.
There is a steady rise to the land across the street and no one thought about poor Thomas, straining on tiptoe to spy the outlines of the deer he knew were there. His mom lifted him up onto the side table, wrapped her arm and her sweater around him and pointed out into the night. Gradually the smaller deer began shuffling around, picking at the corn with one eye to the horizon until slowly, one by one, they vanished into the woods. Only when the light flickered off and stayed off would Thomas come inside for his bath.
Weāve just finished the Christmas season and Iām remembering our celebrations as I pack away the ornaments and decorations. Weāve unintentionally started a new tradition of playing games, ending with a scavenger hunt for the grandchildrenās shared surprise. Thomas and Amelia especially enjoyed playing āThomas and Amelia Are Snowmen.ā We donāt get much of the white stuff here so each family teamed up to wrap their toddler in toilet paper, racing to make the best snowman. I believe their favorite parts were spinning until they were dizzy and breaking free from their toilet paper shrouds with whoops of delight! We also raced with the angels to Bethlehem by blowing through silicone straws from our bellies on the floor. My starched lace angel ornaments never saw so much excitement in Christmases past.
For the scavenger hunt, I hide the nativity characters around the house, always in places the babies regularly explore. Once the manger scene was intact, the last clue in their stockings was a small bag of deer corn, leading them outside to play Thomasās version of confetti, appropriately dubbed ācornfetti!ā This year, my husband built a zip-line not far from where the deer feed. It will be in Amelia and Ezraās backyard once their new house is finished. Even the grownups can ride and almost everyone took a turn before time for the candlelight worship service. Only Ezra tired of the fun and games and went down for a nap, but he took a turn on Christmas Day.
I want to remember these adventures when our four precious grands are grown but I wonāt be satisfied with merely repeating them. Iām already on the lookout for a new twist for next year so as they mature, our celebration grows with them. I know they wonāt always remember gifts. Weāre making core memories and as long as I have my way, they will all point to Jesus!
āThe Lord is honest and good.
He teaches sinners to walk in his ways.
He shows those who arenāt proud how to do what is right.
He teaches them his ways.
All the Lordās ways are loving and faithful toward those who obey what his covenant commands.
Lord, be true to your name.
Forgive my sin, even though it is great.
Who are the people who have respect for the Lord?
God will teach them the ways they should choose.
The Lord shares his plans with those who have respect for him.
He makes his covenant known to them.ā
āāPsalmā¬ ā25ā¬:ā8ā¬-ā12ā¬, ā14ā¬ āNIRVā¬ā¬
https://bible.com/bible/110/psa.25.8-14.NIRV
Jesus birth, death, and resurrection brings us together under a new covenant in His blood.
āI passed on to you what I received from the Lord.
On the night the Lord Jesus was handed over to his enemies, he took bread.
When he had given thanks, he broke it.
He said, āThis is my body.
It is given for you.
Every time you eat it, do it in memory of me.ā
In the same way, after supper he took the cup.
He said, āThis cup is the new covenant in my blood.
Every time you drink it, do it in memory of me.ā
You eat the bread and drink the cup.
When you do this, you are announcing the Lordās death until he comes again.
Eat the bread or drink the cup of the Lord in the right way.
Donāt do it in a way that isnāt worthy of him.
If you do, you will be guilty.
Youāll be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.
Everyone should take a careful look at themselves before they eat the bread and drink from the cup.ā
āā1 Corinthiansā¬ ā11ā¬:ā23ā¬-ā28ā¬ āNIRVā¬ā¬
https://bible.com/bible/110/1co.11.23-28.NIRV
Jesus fulfilled the law of God given to Moses by obeying it completely. His obedience is counted as righteousness for me and you and all who repent, trusting in Him for forgiveness. My obedience is an outpouring of His power at work in me, given willingly from a heart overflowing with gratitude. His Spirit marks me for the day of salvation. I am His. (II Corinthians 1:22, Ephesians 1:13, 4:30)
āThrough Christ, we can be sure of this before God.
In ourselves we are not able to claim anything for ourselves.
The power to do what we do comes from God.
He has given us the power to serve under a new covenant.
The covenant is not based on the written Law of Moses.
It comes from the Holy Spirit.
The written Law kills, but the Spirit gives life.
Since we have that kind of hope, we are very bold.ā
āā2 Corinthiansā¬ ā3ā¬:ā4ā¬-ā6ā¬, ā12ā¬ āNIRVā¬ā¬
https://bible.com/bible/110/2co.3.4-12.NIRV
āGod āhas also set eternity in our hearts.ā ā¦we know we are immersed in eternity, and we long to see more of the pattern than we can; we ācannot fathom what God has done from beginning to endā (Eccl. 3:11).
Meanwhile, it is a āgift from Godā to eat and labor and find satisfaction in oneās own patch, all the while happily aware āthat everything God does will endure foreverā (Eccl. 3:13ā14).
The cycles that the unbeliever finds meaningless and despairing incite the believer to faithfulness and worship.ā
Read the Bible: Leviticus 20, Psalm 25, Ecclesiastes 3, and 1 Timothy 5
The things of earth are shadows of things in heaven. Moses was told to build the tabernacle in the wilderness according to the pattern shown him by God on Mount Sinai where the law was given to Israel. (Exodus 25:40) It is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. (Hebrews 8:5) Solomon made the implements for worship and the temple according the the pattern the Lord had given him. (II Chronicles 4:7) His father, David, supplied the materials and wrote everything down for his son as the Lord had helped him to understand it. (I Chronicles 28:19) God still gives us glimpses of heavenly things in our sojourn on earth.
āThe heavens tell about the glory of God.
The skies show that his hands created them.
Day after day they speak about it.
Night after night they make it known.
But they donāt speak or use words.
No sound is heard from them.
Yet their voice goes out into the whole earth.
Their words go out from one end of the world to the other.ā
āāPsalmā¬ ā19ā¬:ā1ā¬-ā4ā¬ āNIRVā¬ā¬
https://bible.com/bible/110/psa.19.1-4.NIRV
āWe live by believing, not by seeing.ā
āā2 Corinthiansā¬ ā5ā¬:ā7ā¬ āNIRVā¬ā¬
https://bible.com/bible/110/2co.5.7.NIRV
As Jesus said to Thomas, āBecause you have seen me, you have believed.
Blessed are those who have not seen me but still have believed.āā
āāJohnā¬ ā20ā¬:ā29ā¬ āNIRVā¬ā¬
https://bible.com/bible/110/jhn.20.29.NIRV
āBut the day of the Lord will come like a thief.
The heavens will disappear with a roar.
Fire will destroy everything in them.
God will judge the earth and everything done in it.
So everything will be destroyed in this way.
And what kind of people should you be?
You should lead holy and godly lives.
Live like this as you look forward to the day of God.
Living like this will make the day come more quickly.
On that day fire will destroy the heavens.
Its heat will melt everything in them.
But we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth.
Godliness will live there.
All this is in keeping with Godās promise.
Remember that while our Lord is waiting patiently to return, people are being saved.ā
āā2 Peterā¬ ā3ā¬:ā10ā¬-ā13ā¬, ā15ā¬ āNIRVā¬ā¬
https://bible.com/bible/110/2pe.3.10-15.NIRV
Our son and his family are listing their house at the end of this week. We hope for a quick sale and we look forward to having them with us while they build. There will no doubt be a learning curve as we all adjust to sharing the same space, but the joy of knowing they will be close by always far outweighs any potential temporary discomfort. The same is true of our Heavenly home. Jesus said He is coming back, this time to judge the earth. Whatever hardships we face in this life are only temporary trials.
If you had seen what John saw as a prisoner exiled on the isle of Patmos, the revelation of Jesus Christ, what might you be willing to endure to be sure the world knows Him before His return in glory? How much harder would you be willing to work on that strained relationship if you remembered that eternity hangs in the balance? Who would you go out of your comfort zone to tell? Jesus said no one knows the day or the hour except the Father and that day will come like a thief in the night. What would you stop putting off if you were truly standing on tiptoe, straining to see the day of the Lord and welcome His return?
āI saw āa new heaven and a new earth.ā (Isaiah 65:17)
The first heaven and the first earth were completely gone.
There was no longer any sea.
I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem.
It was coming down out of heaven from God.
It was prepared like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
I heard a loud voice from the throne.
It said, āLook! God now makes his home with the people.
He will live with them.
They will be his people.
And God himself will be with them and be their God.
āHe will wipe away every tear from their eyes.
There will be no more death.ā (Isaiah 25:8)
And there will be no more sadness.
There will be no more crying or pain.
Things are no longer the way they used to be.ā
He who was sitting on the throne said, āI am making everything new!ā
Then he said, āWrite this down.
You can trust these words.
They are true.ā
He said to me, āIt is done.
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.
I will give water to anyone who is thirsty.
The water will come from the spring of the water of life.
It doesnāt cost anything!
Those who have victory will receive all this from me.
I will be their God, and they will be my children.ā
āāRevelationā¬ ā21ā¬:ā1ā¬-ā7ā¬ āNIRVā¬ā¬
https://bible.com/bible/110/rev.21.1-7.NIRV
āThis is the covenant I will establish with the people of Israel after that time, says the Lord.
I will put my laws in their minds.
I will write them on their hearts.
I will be their God.
And they will be my people.
People will not teach their neighbor anymore.
They will not say to one another, āKnow the Lord.ā
Thatās because everyone will know me.
From the least important to the most important, all of them will know me.
I will forgive their evil ways.
I will not remember their sins anymore.ā (Jeremiah 31:31ā34)ā
āāHebrewsā¬ ā8ā¬:ā10ā¬-ā12ā¬ āNIRVā¬ā¬
https://bible.com/bible/110/heb.8.10-12.NIRV
āLet us give thanks to God for his gift.
It is so great that no one can tell how wonderful it really is!ā
āā2 Corinthiansā¬ ā9ā¬:ā15ā¬ āNIRVā¬ā¬
https://bible.com/bible/110/2co.9.15.NIRV
Homesick For Heaven ~Phil Wickham https://youtu.be/BzJMZom6NBs?si=h5aT4uDqC7Hc13mw
Oh Death ~Mercy Me https://youtu.be/zptFkmnCLP8?si=vos18iEC6UnnCops
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