Monthly Archives: December 2020

End-of-December and 2020 Reflections

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Well, it’s been quite the year hasn’t it? Truly we never know what a day—or a year—will bring forth (Proverbs 27:1). Much has been written about the pandemic and other events of the year, so I won’t reiterate them here. Probably the top takeaways for me this year are:

  • Hold plans loosely.
  • God is still in control. Life’s circumstances have not taken him by surprise.
  • We walk the same way we do in any circumstances—by faith.
  • Listen more, assume less.

Thankfully, our family had a couple of excursions right before the lockdowns began. That helped the initial isolation not feel as bad. My husband and I celebrated our 40th anniversary from last December a little late and went to the Gatlinburg/Sevierville/Pigeon Forge area in January to stay in a nice, cabin-like hotel, eat at a nice restaurant, attend a couple of attractions, and reread some love notes from college days. Then in February we visited the Biltmore House and Downton Abbey exhibit with all the family except my oldest, who lives out of state.

A friend and I went out for lunch during the early days of the virus and discussed it and what effects it might have. We had no idea it would be so widespread and last so long. But we were glad that we had that time together right before it.

Thankfully, my husband and three sons could all work from home for the most part. Jason, my middle son, had to go in a lot during December, their busiest time of the year. Because we were all isolating, we felt safe getting together (the strictest regulations here so far limited gatherings to ten, and we’re only seven when all together). My oldest son missed his April visit, but came in August and December via train, mostly on a sleeper car. So he hardly saw anyone on the trip, which he felt was safer (though much longer) than flying. Those gatherings and Zoom church sustained us.

We had some health issues: the atrial fibrillation which I had surgery for three years ago started up again and landed me in the ER twice. I have follow-up appointments in the next couple of weeks to see what we should do about that. The last hospital visit exposed us to COVID, as a nurse who talked about isolating from family because she worked with COVID patients kept pulling down her mask as she talked. That was the week before Jeremy’s scheduled train trip here, which made for some uncertainty. But we got a rapid COVID test the day before he was supposed to leave, and new guidelines said no symptoms and a negative test from day 5 or later after exposure only required a week’s quarantine, so we were good to go—and very thankful.

Normally I include “Timothyisms” in my monthly posts—quips from my six-year-old grandson. The only one I noted this time was when we were isolating due to one of Jason’s coworkers testing positive for COVID. They had helped us put up and decorate the Christmas tree earlier, and as we FaceTimed, I showed Timothy some of the presents accumulating under it. He said, “Granddad Claus is coming to town!”

We send store-bought Christmas cards to loved ones, but I make them for the immediate family. I try to incorporate their favorite colors and interests.

This was Jim’s:

The little squares were made with the Cuttlebug embosser.

This was for Jeremy, who likes foxes:

The background was embossed, and the fox and trees came from a scrapbook paper set. The Merry Christmas was a sticker.

This was Jason’s:

He likes blue, and I am often drawn to cheery, whimsical ideas for him. The words at the bottom were on a sticker.

This was for Mittu, my daughter-in-law, who likes purple:

The idea I had seen on Pinterest (where I get most of my inspiration) showed a tree made with heart-shaped cutouts. I decided to add the glitter-frosted edges. I liked it better before I added the Merry Christmas sticker at the bottom, but I couldn’t remove it once I glued it on.

This was Timothy’s:

I saw the idea here (via Pinterest) for using shapes to create the penguin. But mine must have been shaped a little differently—it didn’t look right to try to make it short and squatty like hers. But I thought it turned out cute. I had to get Jesse to help me with the eyes: I just couldn’t get something that tiny cut out and glued on. I wished later I had outlined the little sign so it stood out better.

This was Jesse’s:

And this was for our anniversary:

I usually list what we’ve been watching in these posts, but we haven’t watched much out of the ordinary the last two months (I missed November–there just wasn’t a good time to work an end-of-month post in). I’m still working through the Lark Rise to Candelford series while using the exercise bike. Somehow we didn’t watch any of the usual Christmas movies or specials. We streamed The Croods: A New Age and Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey to watch with the family. They were . . . okay. My husband and I watched Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors when it was on TV one night and were surprised that network TV allowed such upfront messages about faith and eternal destiny. I wouldn’t take all my theology from the movie, but the message of the need to trust in God was clear.

I won’t list the books reads in November and December since I just posted all the books I read this year as well as my top twelve.

And, since this is an end-of-year post, instead of listing posts from the last two months, I thought I’d look back at the posts from the year that seemed to resonate the most with readers. My five most-read posts of the year are:

I’m thankful people found something useful there. I need to go back and remind myself of some of those truths.

It’s hard to end the year with a sense of closure and look to 2021 as bright and shiny and new when so many of this year’s problems remain: the pandemic and its physical, emotional, and economic toll, the civil and racial strife and unrest, a new administration with alarming values. But my Daily Light on the Daily Path entry for this morning was all about God bearing His people as on eagle’s wings. My Bible reading in Exodus 33 told of the time just after Israel made and worshiped the golden calf instead of God. He was going to send them on to the promised land, but not go with them Himself because they were a stiffnecked people. But Moses pleaded, and God promised, “‘My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.’ And he [Moses] said to him [God], ‘If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here'” (verses 14-15). Whatever happens in the coming year, we can rely on God’s presence and depend on Him to bear us up.

(Sharing with Grace and Truth, Senior Salon, InstaEncouragements)

My Top Twelve Books of 2020

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I posted all the books I read this year, but I also like to share my top ten or so favorites (forgive me for doubling posts today—I’m trying to fit a few things in before year’s end). But it’s so hard to narrow them down. These were not all published this year: some are classics that I recently discovered. All except the last link to my reviews.

  1. Doctor Thorne by Anthony Trollope. This was a cozy story, similar in ways to Jane Austen and Charles Dickens. A country doctor had taken in his niece, who fell in love with the young man set to become the village squire. But her position in society is lower than his, and his mother objects. Plus his father is in debt, and he’s encouraged to “marry money.” It was a little predictable, but very enjoyable.
Doctor Thorne by Anthony Trollope

2. Amberwell by D. E. Stevenson is about five children in Scotland raised by aloof parents. By the time the children become adults, the estate had fallen into disrepair. But it draws them all back like a beacon. The children each have distinct personalities and heartaches and joys. I loved getting to know them and Stevenson’s work.

Amberwell

3. None Like Him: 10 Ways God is Different From Us (and Why That’s a Good Thing by Jen Wilkin. There are some attributes of God we can’t emulate, but they inspire our worship. This is a book I feel sure I’ll read again.

4. In His Image: 10 Ways God Calls Us to Reflect His Character by Jen Wilkin. There are some attributes of God we are supposed to reflect as we draw closer to and rely on Him. And I am likely to read this multiple times, too.

5. The Last Castle: The Epic Story of Love, Loss, and American Royalty in the Nation’s Largest Home by Denise Kiernan. This is about the history of the Biltmore House in Asheville, NC, and the family who built it. The Biltmore is a favorite place to visit and a lovely work of art. 

The Last Castle: The Epic Story of Love, Loss, and American Royalty in the Nation’s Largest Home by Denise Kiernan

6. A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles tells the fictional story of a man in 1922 Russia placed under house arrest for the rest of his life in an upper room in a hotel. It’s a secular book and had a couple of objectionable elements. But I loved the Count, the way the story unfolded, the wry sense of humor, and the peek into this era of history. I love how Towles had the Count maintain his gentlemanliness despite all circumstances and made the best of them, yet showed in subtle ways how the situation affected him.

7. If We Make It Home: A Novel of Faith and Survival in the Oregon Wilderness by Christina Suzann Nelson tells of a reunion of college friends who close in school but hadn’t spoken in 25 years. They take a survival trip in the Cascades which brings out the best and worst of each. I loved the author’s phrasing and the spiritual and mental journey each women went through.

If We Make It Home

8. Interrupted: A Life Beyond Words by Rachel Coker. A teenager is the main caregiver for her mother, who suffers from a brain tumor. When her mother dies, she’s uprooted and sent miles away to live with a single woman. She closes herself off from faith, friendship, and romance. I loved her stepmother’s persistent but not pushy love and the daughter’s slow unfolding.

9. A Very Bookish Thanksgiving by Kelsey Bryant, Rebekah Jones, Sarah Holman, J. Grace Pennington, and Amanda Tero is a collection of five stories which take place around Thanksgiving and tie in with a classic novel. I loved Thanksgiving as a setting. And I also loved the book references and parallels.

10. The Words Between Us by Erin Bartels has a lot going on: a loner who takes on an assumed name to hide the fact that her senator father is on trial for murder and her opening a bookstore and suddenly receiving anonymous packages. It’s a story of how people survive excruciating pain, judgments and misconceptions that are sometimes wrong, and words and their effect.

11. A Song Unheard by Roseanna M. White. I could have named several of White’s books—and nearly did. But I decided to choose just one as a representative. This story involves a thief recruited into espionage during WWI. She’s a self-taught violinist sent to retrieve a cypher from a world-renowned violinist whose father worked with cryptography. At points, I wanted to set everything aside and just read this book. I love that Roseanna writes true Christian fiction. Some in this genre feel they can only hint at or suggest spiritual answers to issues, but Roseanna isn’t afraid to get into the meat of wrestling with faith and life. Her writing always gets me in the heart. Plus the story introduced a favorite character, Margo, who appears in further books in the series and whose own story is told in The Number of Love.

12. Stranger Planet by Nathan Pyle. I didn’t review this book, but it’s based on an online comic strip (on Facebook here and Instagram here) about aliens and their observations of life on earth. They’re funny, sometimes sweet and sometimes poignant. They’re perfect for a little relaxation.

I’ve enjoyed reminiscing about these books and sharing them with you. What were some of your favorite books read this year?

(Sharing with Let’s Have Coffee, Carole’s Books You Loved,
Booknificent Thursday, Grace and Truth, Hearth and Soul)

Books Read in 2020

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I had a good reading year. 84 books—I think that’s a record for me. I had quite a variety. Old and new: the oldest was published in 1854. A few were hot off the press this year (one I got to read before it was published). Fiction and nonfiction. Paper, Kindle, and audio. I discovered a few new-to-me authors, both classic (Cather, Trollope, and Stevenson) and contemporary (Roseanna M. White, Christina Suzann Nelson, Rachel Coker), whose other works I want to explore. I enjoyed the great majority of them.

I’ll publish my top ten or so of the year shortly, and I have a couple of reading challenge wrap-ups to post which will overlap with this. But I wanted to have a record of everything read this year. The titles link back to my reviews.

Classics:

  1. 1984 by George Orwell
  2. Amberwell by D. E. Stevenson
  3. Billy Budd by Herman Melville
  4. Candleford Green by Flora Thompson
  5. Doctor Thorne by Anthony Trollope
  6. Eight Cousins by Louisa May Alcott
  7. Hard Times by Charles Dickens
  8. Lark Rise by Flora Thompson
  9. The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle
  10. My Antonia by Willa Cather
  11. Over to Candleford by Flora Thompson
  12. The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux
  13. Rose in Bloom by Louisa May Alcott
  14. Summerhills by D. E. Stevenson
  15. Wynema: A Child of the Forest by S. Alice Callahan

Nonfiction:

  1. 7 Steps to Get Off Sugar and Carbohydrates by Susan Neal
  2. The Answer Is…by Alex Trebek
  3. Be Amazed (Minor Prophets): Restoring an Attitude of Wonder and Worship by Warren W. Wiersbe
  4. Be Authentic (Genesis 25-50): Exhibiting Real Faith in the Real World by Warren Wiersbe
  5. Be Basic (Genesis 1-11): Believing the Simple Truth of God’s Word by Warren Wiersbe (2010, Finished 9/22/20)
  6. Be Concerned (Minor Prophets): Making a Difference in Your Lifetime by Warren Wiersbe
  7. Be Free (Galatians): Exchange Legalism for True Spirituality by Warren Wiersbe
  8. Be Obedient (Genesis 12-25): Learning the Secret of Living by Faith by Warren Wiersbe
  9. Be Resolute( Daniel): Determining to Go God’s Direction by Warren Wiersbe
  10. Be Reverent (Ezekiel): Bowing Before Our Awesome God by Warren Wiersbe
  11. Be Rich (Ephesians): Gaining the Things That Money Can’t Buy by Warren Wiersbe
  12. Be Victorious (Revelation): In Christ You Are an Overcomer by Warren Wiersbe (2008, Finished 9/7/20)
  13. Bedside Blessings by Charles R. Swindoll (not reviewed yet)
  14. Breaking Anxiety’s Grip: How to Reclaim the Peace God Promises by Dr. Michelle Bengston
  15. Christian Study Guide for 7 Steps to Get Off Sugar and Carbohydrates.by Susan Neal
  16. A Christmas Longing by Joni Eareckson Tada
  17. Daily Light on the Daily Path compiled by Samuel Bagster
  18. God’s Very Good Idea by Trillia Newbell (children’s)
  19. Good Tidings of Great Joy: A Collection of Christmas Sermons by Charles Spurgeon
  20. Green Leaf in Drought by Isobel Kuhn
  21. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
  22. In His Image: 10 Ways God Calls Us to Reflect His Character by Jen Wilkin
  23. Joy to the World: Daily Readings for Advent by C. H. Spurgeon
  24. The Last Castle: The Epic Story of Love, Loss, and American Royalty in the Nation’s Largest Home by Denise Kiernan
  25. Loving My Actual Christmas: An Experiment in Relishing the Season by Alexandra Kuykendall
  26. None Like Him by Jen Wilkin
  27. Off the Clock: Feel Less Busy While Getting More Done by Laura Vanderkam
  28. Panosian: A Story of God’s Gracious Providence by Chris Anderson
  29. True Strength: My Journey from Hercules to Mere Mortal—and How Nearly Dying Saved my Life, by Kevin Sorbo
  30. When God Made You by Matthew Paul Turner (children’s)
  31. The Women of Easter: Encounter the Savior with Mary of Bethany, Mary of Nazareth, and Mary Magdalene by Liz Curtis Higgs
  32. The Wonder Years: 40 Women over 40 on Aging, Faith, Beauty, and Strength, a collection of essays compiled by Leslie Leyland Fields

Christian fiction:

  1. Castle on the Rise by Kristy Cambron
  2. Chasing Jupiter by Rachel Coker
  3. The Color of Hope by Kim Cash Tate
  4. Colorfull: Celebrating the Colors God Gave Us by Dorena Williamson (children’s)
  5. Discovering Jesus and His Love by Scott Leone
  6. Dying to Read by Lorena McCourtney
  7. Five Miles South of Peculiar by Angela Hunt
  8. An Hour Unspent by Roseanna M. White
  9. If We Make It Home by Christina Suzann Nelson
  10. Interrupted: A Life Beyond Words by Rachel Coker
  11. The Medallion by Cathy Gohlke
  12. Monday’s Child by Linda Chaikin
  13. A Name Unknown by Roseanna M. White
  14. The Number of Love by Roseanna M. White
  15. On the Wings of Devotion by Roseanna M. White
  16. A Portrait of Loyalty by Roseanna M. White
  17. A Portrait of Marguerite by Kate Lloyd
  18. Promise Me This by Cathy Gohlke
  19. Rain Song by Alice Wisler
  20. The Red Door Inn by Liz Johnson
  21. Sandhill Dreams by Cara Putnam
  22. A Season to Dance by Patrica Beal
  23. The Shop Keepers by Nancy Moser
  24. A Song Unheard by Roseanna M. White
  25. Termination Zone by Adam Blumer
  26. Under a Cloudless Sky by Chris Fabry
  27. A Very Bookish Christmas by Rebekah Jones, Sarah Holman, J. Grace Pennington, and Kate Willis
  28. A Very Bookish Thanksgiving by Kelsey Bryant, Rebekah Jones, Sarah Holman, J. Grace Pennington, and Amanda Tero
  29. Waves of Mercy by Lynn Austin
  30. The Words Between Us by Erin Bartels

Other Fiction:

  1. Hurricane Season by Laura K. Denton
  2. The Mother-Daughter Book Club by Heather Vogel Frederick
  3. Old Town in the Green Groves by Cynthia Rylant
  4. Stranger Planet by Nathan Pyle (a lot of fun but not reviewed)
  5. A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

I read two that I chose not to review or name for various reasons. One dealt with an issue I just don’t want to get into on the blog. The other I didn’t really care for, but I sort-of know the author online and didn’t want to be negative about her book publicly.

I’m looking forward to starting a fresh new list next year!

(Sharing with Booknificent Thursday)

Two Christmas Devotionals

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I love to read a Christmas or Advent devotional in December as a way to focus on the spiritual aspect of the season. This year I couldn’t decide between two, so I read them both.

Last year I had a book of C. H. Spurgeon’s Christmas sermons and thought to read them a bit at a time, like a devotional. But it didn’t work. I felt like I wasn’t getting the full impact and flow of thought without reading the whole sermon in context. So I ended up reading one each weekend

This year, however, I found a devotional book made up of short (2-3 pages on an iPad mini Kindle app) excerpts from some of his sermons: Joy to the World: Daily Readings for Advent. I was looking for something with short readings since my regular reading routine is pretty full, and this fit the bill.

Sometimes books made of excerpts from other books or sermons don’t always come across well: it’s obvious that some context is missing. But that wasn’t the case with this book. Each reading seemed like a complete thought. The English has been modernized a bit, but it didn’t seem to take away from the readings to me.

One of the themes is how a humble manger birth made Christ approachable: “We might tremble to approach a throne, but we cannot fear to approach a manger. Never could there be a being more approachable than Christ” (p. 20).

A couple of other quotes:

“Religion never was designed To make our pleasures less” (from “We’re Marching to Zion”). It is designed to do away with some of our pleasures, but it gives us many more, to make up for what it takes away; so it does not make them less (p. 32).

Now, Christ’s human flesh was God’s tabernacle, and it is in Christ that God meets with man, and in Christ that man has dealings with God. The Jew of old went to God’s tent, in the center of the camp, if he would worship: we come to Christ if we would pay our homage. If the Jew would be released from ceremonial uncleanness, after he had performed the rites, he went up to the sanctuary of his God, that he might feel again that there was peace between God and his soul. We, having been washed in the precious blood of Christ, have access with boldness unto God, even the Father through Christ, who is our tabernacle and the tabernacle of God among men (p. 51).

The tabernacle of old was not full of truth, but full of image, and shadow, and symbol, and picture; but Christ is full of substance. He is not the picture, but the reality; he is not the shadow, but the substance. O believer, rejoice with joy unspeakable for you come to Christ, the real tabernacle of God. You come to him who is full of the glory of the Father; and you come to one in whom you have not the representation of a grace which you needest, but the grace itself-not the shadow of a truth ultimately to be revealed, but that very truth by which your soul is accepted in the sight of God (p. 52).

The thought of Christ’s human flesh being our tabernacle was new to me, but poignant as our church is reading through Exodus and spent several days this month on the instructions for the tabernacle.

I also liked very much the thought in Day 6’s reading that God was pulling invisible strings to orchestrate the details of Christ’s birth, even to the point of the census being decreed to get Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem, where the Scriptures prophesied Christ would be born. That’s a comfort in these times.

A Christmas Longing by Joni Eareckson Tada is a gorgeous book filled with her art work, drawn by mouth due to her paralysis. It would make a lovely coffee table book if we had a coffee table.

It’s made up of 31 readings for each day in December (the above book had 25) centered on the theme of joy.

A few quotes:

Maybe we simply need to realize that our most unpleasant circumstances, much like Mary and Joseph’s, often have a way of becoming a beautiful portion of God’s magnificent design. God’s sovereign timetable is working in the life of your family, too, hard as that may be to accept at times. Despite the hardship, despite the inconvenience, despite our lack of understanding, God has something in mind. He is in control, and He has a design for your life this Christmas season… and through all the seasons of your life. (The book has no page numbers, but this is in “A Plan Behind the Pain.”)

Lives hinge and eternal destinies hang in the balance when men and women come face to face with Jesus the Christ. It isn’t always peaceful. It isn’t always painless. It isn’t always easy. But bowing the knee to Jesus Christ is always right. No matter what. (From “Simeon’s Message.”)

Maybe that’s why God puts those wistful longings in our hearts this time of year. He wants us to find the answers to those longings in the celebration of Jesus. He wants us to define that nostalgia as nothing more than a deep human desire to come home and adore His Son. (From “Create Your Christmas Spirit.”)

You see, when Christ entered history, He didn’t come waving a white flag. His coming was not simply a lull in the battle. It was more than a momentary cease-fire. When the angels sang, “Peace on earth, good will toward men,” they were announcing an armistice. It was V-Day—an end, not just to the battle between God and humans, but to the war.

The phrase “peace on earth” carries with it so much more meaning than simply a warm, fuzzy feeling between the Lord and us. Christ, our Prince of Peace, was God’s way of announcing the close to an awful war. The Lord Jesus invaded enemy territory to lay claim on what was rightfully His. He confronted sin, and His battle cry told men that He had come to set them free.Through His death and resurrection, He signed the peace treaty in His own blood. (From “Peace on Earth.”)

I read this in bunches, both because I received it late plus I wanted to finish it in time for this review. But I think next year I’ll read just one entry a day and go more slowly and thoughtfully through it.

Though different in style, both of these books were meaty, inspirational, edifying, and enjoyable.

(Sharing with InstaEncouragement, Carole’s Books You Loved, Booknificent Thursday)

What God Tells Us to Remember

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Many of us spend the last days of the year looking back at it. Maybe that reminiscence is sparked by the Christmas letters we wrote loved ones, or by the pause before putting up our shiny new calendars for the new year.

There used to be a saying on memes that went something like, “Don’t look back—you’re not going that way.” However, though we shouldn’t live in the past, we benefit from considering it at times.

I jotted down for my own remembrance the ESV Study Bible note for Isaiah 44:21, where God pointed out the futility of idols and told Israel to remember certain things:

Remember. God calls his people to focused thought, in contrast to the muddled delusions described in vv. 9-20 about “these things,” both the all-sufficiency of the God who makes true promises to his people and the emptiness of the false gods with their lies (p. 1321).

The note on Isaiah 46:8 says something similar:

Mental focus on who God is must be renewed, for the idolatrous culture of the world erodes clarity (p. 1326).

God calls us to remember, to exercise “focused thought.” Verses came floating to mind about what God tells us to remember. So I did a quick word study, which resulted in four pages of references. I can’t put all of them here, but I’ll share several.

“Remember all the commandments of the Lord, to do them, not to follow after your own heart and your own eyes, which you are inclined to whore after. So you shall remember and do all my commandments, and be holy to your God.” (Numbers 15:39-40)

“Remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not.” (Deuteronomy 8:2)

“Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, ‘I have no pleasure in them’” (Ecclesiastes 12:1)

“Remember the days of old; consider the years of many generations; ask your father, and he will show you, your elders, and they will tell you”. (Deuteronomy 32:7). (The rest of the chapter details God’s gracious dealings in Israel’s history.)

Remember God’s provision: “Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’ You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day.” (Deuteronomy 8:17-18) (Jesus reminded his disciples, when they discussed having no bread, about his past provision of loaves and fishes. Matthew 16:5-12.)

“Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles and the judgments he uttered.” (1 Chronicles 16:12)

“Remember and do not forget how you provoked the Lord your God to wrath in the wilderness. From the day you came out of the land of Egypt until you came to this place, you have been rebellious against the Lord.” (Deuteronomy 9:7). (It’s not that God wanted to hold their past rebellion over their heads forever, but they needed to remember their tendency to sin so that they might be humbled and appreciative of His grace.)

Remember how God dealt with other people’s sin, to learn from their example. “Remember what the Lord your God did to Miriam on the way as you came out of Egypt” (Deuteronomy 24:9); “Remember Lot’s wife” (Luke 17:32).

“Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.” (Revelation 2:5)

Remember his Word:

“Remember his covenant forever, the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations.” (1 Chronicles 16:15)

“This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles.” (2 Peter 3:1-2)

“But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Jude 17)

“Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you.” (Revelation 3:3)

Remember the nothingness of idols and the greatness of his salvation (Isaiah 44:9-26, “Remember these things,” v. 21; Isaiah 46, “Remember this and stand firm, recall it to mind, you transgressors, remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me,” vv. 8-9).

“Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body.” (Hebrews 13:3)

“Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.” (Hebrews 13:7)

Besides imperative sentences, I noticed some sweet examples of focused remembrance about God, his truth, his ways, his past provision, and the effect of this remembrance. Some were in Psalm 77, Psalm 78, and Isaiah 63. One was in Psalm 63:5-7:

“My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips, when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.” 

Another is in Psalm 143:3-6:

“For the enemy has pursued my soul; he has crushed my life to the ground; he has made me sit in darkness like those long dead. Therefore my spirit faints within me; my heart within me is appalled.

“I remember the days of old; I meditate on all that you have done; I ponder the work of your hands. I stretch out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land.”

One more in Lamentations 3:19-26:

Remember my affliction and my wanderings, the wormwood and the gall! My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me. But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope:

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,  “therefore I will hope in him.”

The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.

Any time is a good time to remember God’s character and dealings with us. But I hope that before the year ends, you’re able to have some “focused thought” on his particular provision and expressions of love in your life.

(Sharing with Inspire Me Monday, Hearth and Soul, Selah, Scripture and a Snapshot, Remember Me Monday, InstaEncouragement, Recharge Wednesday, Let’s Have Coffee, Grace and Truth)

Merry Christmas! Come Behold the Wondrous Mystery

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I wish for you and yours a special time of wonder remembering God’s love for us and showing His love to each other.

Come behold the wondrous mystery
In the dawning of the King
He the theme of heaven’s praises
Robed in frail humanity

In our longing, in our darkness
Now the light of life has come
Look to Christ, who condescended
Took on flesh to ransom us

From “Come Behold the Wondrous Mystery” by Matt Papa, Matt Boswell, Michael Bleecker

Book Review: A Portrait of Loyalty

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A Portrait of Loyalty is the third in Roseanna M. White’s Codebreakers series which takes place during WWI.

Lily Blackwell inherited her mother’s artistic eye, but her medium is photography rather than paint. Skilled in retouching as well as taking pictures, Lily’s father recruits her into the government’s propaganda department. But they keep her involvement a secret from Lily’s mother, who doesn’t approve of art being used that way.

Zivon Marin’s outspokenness against Lenin led to his fiance’s murder and his having to flee Russia. He had been second in command in Russia’s cryptography department and now offers his services to England. Though England accepts his offer, not everyone in the department is sure they can trust him—especially when compromising pictures begin mysteriously showing up.

When Zivon and Lily meet, neither can be completely forthcoming. So how can they ever truly know and trust each other?

And as WWI seems to be winding to a close, another threat looms: the Spanish flu, known at first as the three-day fever.

A few favorite quotes:

The world may still look dark, but if photography had taught her anything, it was that there was always more light to be found. Sometimes you just needed to change your lens. And sometimes you need a flash. Neither ever changed what was really there… but it showed it in a new way.

We must be still – not our hands and feet, but our minds. And know that He is God. That He has not changed. That the same Lord who loved us when all is well loves us still when all is lost. His promises are as true today as they were yesterday. He has been enough to see people through the worst since the dawn of time. We must trust that His love is enough to see us through now.

She had a feeling he was like a matryoshka doll too–a placid exterior that hid layers of secrets and mysteries. And she couldn’t help but wonder what lay beneath this carefully crafted shell.

Once again, Roseanna has woven together an intriguing story with a lot of depth and layers. The only problem with listening to the audiobook raher than reading is that the audiobook doesn’t include the author’s end notes explaining where she got her inspiration and what parts of the story were based on true happenings.

Although I think any of the books in the series could be read alone, I really enjoyed reading/listening to them straight through. The Codebreakers series continues the timeline and some of the characters of the Shadows Over England series.

Shadows Over England:

Book 1: A Name Unknown
Book 2: A Song Unheard
Book 3: An Hour Unspent

Codebreakers series:

Book 1: The Number of Love
Book 2: On the Wings of Devotion
Book 3: A Portrait of Loyalty

(Sharing with Carole’s Books You Loved, Booknificent Thursday)

Not the Savior They Were Looking For

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From the first book of the Bible, from the first instance of sin, God promised that some day a Redeemer would come. God repeated and expanded on the promise all through the Old Testament. The coming One, the promised One, the Messiah, would be a perfect prophet, priest, king. He would overthrow evil, rule in justice, defeat all Israel’s enemies. Though he was particularly given so the Jews, he was also promised to the Gentiles.

And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious. (Isaiah 11:10)

And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth. (Isaiah 49:6)

Multiple prophecies foretold his coming. Multiple images depicted him: the Passover lamb, the scapegoat, sacrifice for sin, the suffering servant.

But when he came, when he claimed to be the Messiah, his people did not recognize him. “He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him” (John 1:11). The Jews of New Testament times looked for a warrior king who would overthrow Roman oppression and establish his physical kingdom. When he pointed out their errors and sins, they had him killed.

People today make a similar mistake. They want a particular kind of Savior:

One who will solve their problems but never require anything of them.

One who will align with and carry out their political aspirations.

One who will increase their health and wealth.

One who will smile indulgently at their sin and never chasten.

One who would never let anything unpleasant happen.

One who will never require anything difficult.

One who never says no to their desires and plans.

Instead of worshiping the Savior as he is, they’ve created one from the own imagination. And when He doesn’t perform according to expectations, well, then, who needs Him?

We all need Him. But we need Him as He truly is, not as we think He should be. Even those of us who have been Christians  for a long time still have to continually “renew our minds” and adjust our thinking according to truth. We come to know Him as Savior and Lord, but then we spend the rest of our lives getting to know Him better and adjusting ourselves away from our preconceived notions and expectations and toward who He really is. And we’re not disappointed, because in the end He’s a much better Savior than we could ever have imagined.

Do you know Him today as He truly is? Get to know Him through His Word. If you’re new to the Bible, start reading the gospel of John. See what He does and what He says about Himself.

And if you’ve known Him for years, keep getting to know Him better. Keep learning more and more what a wonderful Savior He is.

(Revised from the archives)

(Sharing with Hearth and Soul, Senior Salon, Remember Me Monday, InstaEncouragement, Recharge Wednesday, Grace and Truth)

Laudable Linkage

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I’m waaaay behind on my blog reading. But I wanted to go ahead and share the ones concerning Christmas before it was all over.

We Need a Little Christmas! I love both meanings of this post by Lesley.

This Is Not How I Thought My Story Would Go, HT to Diane Heeney. Good applications drawn from Mary’s life.

We Wait in Darkness: Some Thoughts for Advent. “In Advent, we wait in the darkness. But we do not, I am convinced, wait hopelessly. For while we wait, we can tend the flame. The stories each of our homes are telling can be ones that lend flesh to truth, goodness, and beauty, so that the waiting we do can tend the flame of the Gospel flickering inside our hearts.”

Goodnight Till Then. Those of you who know Tim Challies know that his college-age son died suddenly and unexpectedly a few weeks ago. Also from Tim: When All Seems to Be Gain, Plan for Loss.

Do You Ever Wonder? Lessons Learned from Rebecca. Both Rebekah and Sarah manipulated events instead of trusting God’s promises. We all leave a string of failures in our wake, but thank God He redeems them.

Looking for Joy? Abide. “In addressing His disciples hours before His arrest, Jesus tells them over and over to abide, to remain, to dwell in Him. He knows that they’re worried about what life will look like without Him, so He gives them these instructions for a specific reason: “that [their] joy may be full” (John 15:11).”

On Benedictions, Part 1: He Who Is Able. “This passage doesn’t promise that we’ll never stumble into sin. But it does promise that God’s grace can enable us to persevere to the end—to stand before his throne still blameless, still washed by the blood of Christ, still cleansed from the sin in which we all too readily engaged.”

Assurance in an Age of Cancel Culture, HT to Challies. These days of being so easily “cancelled” when the culture at large doesn’t like what we say can make us fearful of speaking out. “This article is an outpouring of my inner war with ‘cancel culture’ and fear of man. These Biblical truths are weapons of warfare for me in the middle of my fight with ‘cancel culture.’”

Meatloaf Ministry. If you’ve ever been part of a church food ministry or any behind-the-scenes ministry, this will bless you.

Social Justice in Our Divided Age. Not everyone means the same thing by that term, which causes confusion and even hard feelings at times. I thought this was a good explanation.

Happy Saturday!

Friday’s Fave Five

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On Fridays I like to pause for a few moments with Susanne and friends
to reflect on some of the blessings of the week.

I was just telling my husband last night that this is one of the busiest weeks of the year for me. I’m grateful to God that it’s going well, even with some extra issues. Here are a few highlights.

1. Your kind comments on my post about being in the hospital last week. One of the blessings I didn’t foresee in starting a blog was the friendships that would come through it. Thank you so much for your care and prayers

2. Negative COVID tests. Our last morning in the hospital, one nurse talked about how she has been isolating from her grandkids since March since she works with COVID patients. She mentioned just having worked on the COVID floor the day before. Then she kept pulling her mask down as she was talking! All the incidences of her mask being down didn’t add up to more than a few minutes. But, still, there was some possibility of her passing COVID along. We were able to get the rapid test through my husband’s job.

3. Plans given a GO. Normally with possible COVID exposure, we’d just wait a couple of weeks and see what developed. But my oldest son was scheduled to come in by train this weekend, as he did this summer. We’d have to cancel those plans if we tested positive. So I was thankful not only that we were able to get the rapid test before his trip, but also that the current CDC guidelines said our need to quarantine would be up in time.

4. Our son and daughter-in-law closing on their house is supposed to happen today. I’m excited for them.

5. Naan pizza. Susan had mentioned using naan bread as a base for pizza. I had some in the freezer and gave it a try last night. The naan bread made a great crust, and the whole meal was quick and easy—a blessing on a busy day.

I’m guessing there won’t be an FFF next week due to Christmas, so that means this is the last one of the year. I still have a few other posts planned for next week, but for those of you only here for FFF, I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas remembering the greatest gift, our Savior.