A guessing game....and the answer is love!

Some things in life are just guessing games.  Yesterday our family had a really fun guessing game as we all took a guess at the gender of Doug and Susie's anticipated baby.  As you can see from our "ballot" there was only one lone person on the boy side and the rest of us all guessed girl.  That is except for Doug and Ken!  They both refused to participate in the guessing.  Ken told someone that the baby would be human  and that was the only guess he would make!  And he wanted to vote for that.  Needless to say we were all delighted that the baby is a girl!  Susie is especially excited.

This is such a wonderful time, filled with anticipation for our family.  The time between now and when this baby is born will pass both very quickly AND very slowly!  That is certainly true of the last two years since we lost baby Lucas.  In some ways it seems like it was just a short while ago, yet in other ways this has been the longest two years that I have ever experienced.  If I have learned one thing in these hard two years, it is that we are called to live PRESENT in each day.  You can't live in the past and you can't just be longing for the future.  Jesus made that very clear so many times in the Bible.  We are instructed to keep our thoughts (and our worries) on today.  We are also told NOT to worry - since he has everything under control.

I've tried to stay totally out of the presidential election controversy over the last months.  It was certainly another example of a guessing game. And now there are so many people who seem to be living outside of the present.  There are protests and riots over things that simply have not yet happened and may never happen.  Now more than ever we all just need to be present in today, asking Jesus what our tasks are for today.  He's got everything under control. We need to stop the assuming what will happen in the future and stop the entire guessing game of the next four years.

The great topper of my weekend was a wonderful time, actually getting to meet and listen to Dr. Brian Simmons - the man responsible for The Passion Translation.  I have quoted from this translation many times on this blog.  My daily devotional times almost always include The Passion Translation, which speaks directly to my spirit as I read.  The interesting thing about this event was that it was also sort of a guessing game as to whether or not the meeting would happen!  The leader of the ministry sponsoring Dr, Simmons actually had a medical emergency hours before this event was to take place.

I confess that my prayers were not only for the total health and well being of the leader, but also that this meeting would actually happen!  I have been eagerly waiting for a chance to meet Pr. Simmons.  Thankfully although the leader did need to spend time under medical care, the meeting went on as planned, thanks to a wonderful group of support staff in this ministry.  What a wonderful night hearing not only the powerful testimony of this man and his wife, but also being encouraged and blessed through his words shared with us.  There were so many amazing thoughts in that two hour talk..... but here are just a couple of things to ponder.

*Everything springs from love.  Love is the epicenter of who God is and what He does. His Love for us - His Bride is revealed in the Song of Songs.

*The Hebrew word for singing is a homonym which also means to prune.  It is our worship that prunes us.  The dead things are severed from us when we worship.

*John 17 will be a highlighted chapter in the year 2017.  (I think I will be spending a bit of time meditating on this chapter)

Oh, there was so much more!  I am so thankful that I got to meet this man and listen to him for this very short time.   Love was the overwhelming topic of this meeting.  Love was the very center of our family time and our anticipation for that new baby girl.  Love is the answer to the controversy and the turmoil in our country post election.  Love.  Love the Lord your God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself.

Jesus, thank you for speaking so clearly in the Bible about love.  Holy Spirit, help us to start each day  knowing that we are loved by You.  Remind us all to love before anything else.  Keep us mindful of our neighbors and mindful of Your great love for us.  Thank you Jesus for my newest little granddaughter!  Amen