My God My Everything

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.  This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” – Luke 2:8-12 One of my favorite holiday decorations are nativity scenes, they seem to have the power…

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. – Jeremiah 29:13 You’ve no doubt heard the TV commercial that asks, “What you would do for a Klondike bar?” Sometimes is silly to think about what we would do for something as insignificant as ice cream, but the truth is that people can do some pretty extreme things to get what they desire. The wise men that journeyed to see Jesus, the newborn King, traveled hundreds of miles. Their dedication to see Him for themselves and bring gifts was so intense that nothing could stop them. Imagine their surprise when they arrived in Jerusalem and asked about the newborn king and learned that King…

One of my favorite Christmas songs is Mary did you know. The lyrics remind me of the awe and wonder that surrounds our Savior. When I hear the song I try to imagine Mary’s response and picture her kissing her child while he sleeps. We could ask the same questions of ourselves. Do we know? Do we know Jesus as the Lord and Savior of our lives? Take a moment and hear the words again. Read them slowly and be reminded of what you know about Jesus. Mary did you know? Mary, did you know that your baby boyWould one day walk on water?Mary, did you know that your baby…

For to us a child is born,    to us a son is given,    and the government will be on his shoulders.And he will be called    Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. – Isaiah 9:6 God has a beautiful plan for your life. And He wants to lead you each step of the way. That is why one of the names of God, Emmanuel, means “God with us.” God wants to be intimately involved in our lives. He wants us to know His voice and follow Him. In fact, He wanted to be with us so strongly that He sent His Son to physically walk the earth. That baby in the manger was God and He…

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;    your works are wonderful,    I know that full well. – Psalm 139:14 The other day I read a Christmas card from one of our African Tour vendors. Each year they feature a different animal and this year it was the Zebra. The message was: “Zebras. They stand out. No two are alike. Just like human fingerprints, a zebra’s stripe pattern makes each one unique.” “Yet on the savannahs of Africa , zebras don’t stand apart. They huddle together. They form clusters and their stripes make it hard to tell where one zebra ends and another begins. Which makes each of them safer from…

You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. – Genesis 50:20 In the movie, Count of Monte Cristo, there is prison scene where Edmund Dantes is talking to the old Priest about their prison escape plans when the Priest says, “Neglect is your Ally”. His reference was to the fact only twice each day did the guards come around: breakfast and dinner. The rest of the time the prisoners were left to themselves to do whatever they wanted. In this case what the Priest and, eventually Dantes, wanted was to dig a tunnel to freedom. As I thought about this scenario it…

The Lord All-Powerful made this promise: “This will happen exactly as I meant for it to happen. It will happen just the way I planned.” – Isaiah 14:24 I want to share a story of God’s incredible orchestration that started with a friend request on Facebook. A few months ago I received a friend request from a woman that I didn’t know. I looked through her profile, saw the mutual friends that we had and accepted the request. When I started making a list of people to send the new Royal Records book to, I felt that I was to send her a copy, so I did. We talked through text one…

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” – Psalm 46:10 Yesterday I was running errands all around town. The snow was falling quite heavily, with large beautiful flakes. Stores were filled with shoppers and decorations were glowing from the many homes that were displaying messages of the Christmas season. As I was driving down a fog covered hill, for just a quick moment the scene in front of me changed and the sun shone through the clouds. Bright yellow outlined the peaks on the hill and it was breathtaking. A moment of sunshine just for me. It was a little reminder…

It is better to trust and take refuge in the Lord than to put confidence in man. – Psalm 118:8 Today I came across some exciting notes that I had written in my bible years ago. Some fun facts, but also some basic and impacting truth. Psalm 118:8 is the “Center of God’s Word.” There are 594 chapters before and after this incredible passage. So if you do the math, 594 + 594 = 1188. That gives you Psalm 118:8. The chapter before, Psalm 117, is the shortest chapter in the bible, and Psalm 119, the chapter after, is the longest in the Bible. So what is the message at the center…