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Are you fighting a battle right now? Maybe it’s a battle against anxiety or depression. Maybe it’s a battle against finances or weight loss. Maybe it’s a battle against a clingy sin that you just can’t seem to shake off.

Maybe you’re not the one entrenched in the muck and mire of the battlefield, perhaps it’s someone you know.

All I know is that fighting any kind of a battle can leave us feeling exhausted, hopeless and even defeated.

If you, or someone you know, is feeling that way, let me bring you some words of strength, hope and victory. These words come right out of the Word.

Psalm 3:3 tells us, “But you, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high.”

King David penned these words, and in a sense, it’s as if he’s giving us two names of God within them. God is a Shield and Lifter of heads.

Why is that significant? Because if anyone understood battle and the impact it had on the human soul, it was David.

As we think of the battles we are facing (or perhaps the battles that those whom we love are facing), there is tremendous comfort and hope in knowing that God is our Shield. He’s like an impenetrable force-field surrounding us. The Creator of the universe keeps us safe. Knowing and internalizing this truth is a weapon in and of itself for the battles we fight.

Remembering God’s Truth and promises can give us strength exactly when we need it.

The following quote from Corrie ten Boom reminds us that God’s promises are true no matter what problems, circumstances, or battles we face.

“Let God’s promises shine on your problems.” –Corrie ten Boom 

As we think of a physical shield and how it has been used as an instrument of protection, it’s helpful to know that in ancient times, it was typically made of tough, thick hides that were adhered to a rim. The wearer was able to attach it to his left arm and thrust it in front of his body when attacked.

The shield was most useful when arrows and spears were being deployed. It was not nearly so useful for other weapons such as cannonballs or muskets. Though it didn’t protect every part of the body, it protected the vital parts against certain weapons.

Just as a physical shield does not protect the one who wears it from everything, neither does God protect us from everything. There are certain wounds we will experience on the battlefield. 

2 Corinthians 4: 8-9 puts it eloquently and accurately as we think about the Christian life, ^{8 “}We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; ⁹ persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” 

When we are intentionally and actively living out God’s will for our lives, we will encounter battles. And when we begin to feel hopeless, lonely, or defeated, we combat it with the truth that God is our Shield and the Lifter of our heads.

“But you, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high.” Psalm 3:3

When we feel down and depressed, our very posture changes. Imagine yourself with your head hanging low and God coming up and ever so gently lifting up your chin with His finger. Your head raises up and the direction of your gaze shifts from your circumstances to His loving eyes.

When God lifted David’s head, He helped to relieve his distress, to take away his troubles. He does the same for us.

Friend, keep the images of the Shield and Lifter of your head in your mind, that the Holy Spirit might bring them to the forefront when you need it most.

With this Truth in mind, let us go be radiant this week.

 

 

Friends, my family and I are finally coming out of a 6-week-season of sickness! Pneumonia, bronchitis, fevers, chills and conjunctivitis, you name it, we had it. I can’t even begin to tell you how thankful I am that we have nearly completely emerged from the dark cloud that hovered over us for far too long.

I tell you, I’m a pretty positive person most of the time. I almost always have the ability to see the silver lining in situations, to will myself to choose joy, to smile in spite of my circumstances. However, these last few weeks were so trying, that I found it very difficult to have a positive, joyful attitude.

One of my friends pointed out that when we are unable to walk with joy, God carries us. What a comfort that is. When we are weak, He is strong.

Now that we are out of the doldrums, I feel like I can finally look out around me and begin to be more “others oriented” again. This is a phrase I learned many years ago and it has helped me tremendously in my struggle with selfishness.

I was raised as an only child, which I’m sure contributed to my tendency toward a sometimes selfish and egotistical attitude. God has chiseled away at this over the years and has given me countless opportunities to look outward (instead of inward) and choose the needs of others over my own.

One of those opportunities is Valentine’s day.

When we are making plans for Valentine’s day, we often think of those closest to us, our spouse, our kids or grandkids. But what about others around us? What about our neighbors, co-workers or even the check-out person at the grocery store?

Valentine’s day is such a sweet opportunity (see what I did there? lol) to reach out to others and show them that we care. I mean, just think about how much love we could express with a box of chocolates? 😉 I really believe chocolate should be one of the 5 love languages.

The Bible admonishes us to love one another: ” Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.” (1 John 4:7).

Now, even though we know we are supposed to love others, it’s so easy to make excuses not to express that love, isn’t it? I’m too busy. Money is tight. I wouldn’t even know what to get my co-workers.

What if we made a conscious effort to push those excuses aside, carve out some time and use what we have to bless someone else?

Here are some simple ideas that you could do this week to show love to people around you:

• Make heart-shaped cookies with your kids or grandkids and give them away.
• Make home-made Valentine’s day cards using construction paper, markers, glitter glue, (whatever you have).
• Go to the local donut store and buy some donuts with red and pink sprinkles on them. Wrap them up with a card that says, “I donut know what I’d do without you.”

Last year, I enlisted the help of my 3-year-old and we made some goodies for friends and neighbors (see pictures below).

• Dip some strawberry wafer cookies in melted chocolate and cover with sprinkles. Put them in a jar and tie a cute ribbon around it.
• Make chocolate covered strawberries by melting chocolate chips and a little coconut oil. Once the chocolate has hardened on the strawberries, put them on bamboo skewers and make a bouquet. Wrap them up in parchment paper or cellophane and tie with a red or pink ribbon.

 

What fun activities to do with your kids, grandkids or nieces and nephews and what a great way to help them be others-oriented too.

It doesn’t have to be an extravagant expression, just something to show that you are thinking of the other person – something that shows that you care about them.

Your friends may share with you when circumstances in their lives are difficult, but they may not share with you the full gravity or extent of those circumstances. They also may not share just how deeply they are impacted by them. A little expression of care can go a very long way.

When I think about the extent to which Jesus showed His love for me, cookies, and chocolates are the least I can do for others.

If you’d like to give a non-food gift, try some fun socks with hearts on them. Pinterest is also a great resource for ideas. Whatever you choose to do, I’m sure it will be very meaningful to the recipients of your love.

What are some things you have done for Valentine’s day gifts? I’d love to read your ideas in the comments below.

Let us go be radiant this week by expressing love to others.

 

 

 

 

 

I had such high hopes at the start of the new year. In fact, in my post, Not A Resolution, I wrote about doing a “realignment” with God instead of a resolution. The idea was to spend time with God and ask Him what He wanted me to be about this year. I wanted to fill my calendar, in an intentional way, with eternally valuable things.

And then my 4-year-old got a fever — a fever that would just not go away. On top of that, he developed a hacky cough. A visit to the Doctor’s office was in order and the diagnosis was what I suspected and dreaded at the same time:  the beginnings of pneumonia. Pneumonia! My 4-year-old? How was that possible?

The poor little guy was really a champ the whole time. Unfortunately he woke up a few times each night (which means Mommy, Daddy and little brother were also usually awakened). The sleep deprivation began to creep it’s ugly way into my high hopes and plans for the new year.

As one child was healing, another was getting sick. Yes, it’s true. The little brother developed a scary-high fever. No!!! I am typically calm in highly stressful situations…unless it involves my children. When the little one’s forehead felt like it was on fire, my heart began to race.

One week after our initial doctor visit, we were back, this time for a younger patient. After his exam and some testing, it was determined he must have something viral. Thankfully, his fever broke later that day and he was quickly on the mend. His sleep however, continued to be fitful, and mommy’s sleep deprivation increased.

Sickness and sleep deprivation sabotaged everything on my calendar. Or did it? Keep reading.

In my last blog post, All Things New, I alluded to another something “new” that I had found in Scripture and was going to share with you. I was so excited about it. It was something I hadn’t studied before and it was the perfect time to do so at the start of a new year.

What was it? It was a “new song.”

“Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth.” Ps. 96:1

See also:  Ps. 33:3, Ps. 40:3, Ps. 96:1, Ps. 98:1, Ps. 149:1, Is. 42:10, Rev. 5:9, Rev. 14:3. 

It was definitely the “new” that caught my attention more so than the singing. Don’t get me wrong, I love singing to the Lord and worshipping Him in that way. But how often do I sing Him a new song? What did David and the other Biblical authors have in mind when they talked about singing a new song? What was significant about it being new?

Upon further study, I discovered that these songs were a way to express thankfulness and praise for something new God had done. David, and other Biblical writers, recognized God’s mercy and goodness in their lives and felt that those things merited a new song or hymn of praise. 

The commentator Matthew Henry, poignantly noted, “What a pity it is that this earth, which is so full of the proofs and instances of God’s goodness, should be so empty of his praises; and that of the multitudes who live upon his bounty, there are so few who live to his glory!”

I, for one, don’t want to be empty of praises to my Lord and Savior. He has been so very good to me and continues to show His mercy daily. But to be brutally honest, with really sick children and no sleep, I was in no mood to sing God’s praises.

Exhaustion was weighing me down. Children, whom I love very much, were extra needy, and seemed to require what little energy I had left. Getting food on the table and dishes in the dishwasher seemed like a major accomplishment each day.

The new routine we were starting for the new year was already off kilter (in the first weeks of January!). I felt a sense of disappointment at not being able to kick off the year like I had hoped and dreamed. Sabotage! Or was it?

You know, for a while there, I did feel like my plans got sabotaged, until I remembered my “realignment” time with God. It helped me have a purposeful plan for the foreseeable future. Now, admittedly, I did not foresee my children getting sick. But, God did. His plans for the first few weeks of January looked different than mine. He seems to have wanted me to spend more time with my kiddos 🙂

I may not have had a song in my heart when I was awake in the middle of the night with one or both of my kids, but I am soooo very grateful that they didn’t have anything worse and that they are both well now.

Ironically, God’s protection over my kids is what provoked the “new song,” in my heart that I initially thought their sickness sabotaged.

Each week I challenge myself, and you, to “go be radiant.” This week, maybe that looks like having a new song in our hearts.

 

Happy New Year! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and have started the new year off well.

Did you decide to join me in doing a “realignment” with God instead of a resolution? If so, I would love to hear from you. I pray it has helped you start off the new year on the right foot.

There’s something encouraging to me about being in a new year and having the opportunity to start fresh. Speaking of new, did you receive some new things for Christmas? Maybe you were given some new clothes or fun new tech toy.

Have you noticed that when you first wear new clothes you actually feel a little different? Maybe you feel a bit of excitement or more confident. There might even be a sassy spring in your step.

I was thinking about this idea of newness while taking an early morning trip to the airport. The sun hadn’t come up yet but light was beginning to make its presence known. It began to brighten the deepest shades of blue before me and I was in awe of the sapphire-like colors.

It’s hard to look at a sky like that and not think of the God who created it. I started thinking of the verse that says that God’s mercies are new every morning. As I did, a few more verses with the word, “new” came to mind.

I wanted to see just how many times the Bible talks about “new”, so I looked it up. I was amazed at how many verses I found.

Here are a handful of examples:

• Ez. 18:31 and 36:26 talk about the idea of a new heart and a new spirit
• Jer. 31:31, Lk. 22:20 and 1 Cor. 11:25 talk about a new covenant
• 2 Cor. 5:17 says that whoever is in Christ is a new creation
• Lam. 3:22-23 tell us that God’s mercies or compassions are new every morning

Each of these passages about “new” things would make for a worthwhile study if you are looking for something for your devotional time.

Let’s take a few minutes and delve a little deeper into the idea of God’s mercies being new every morning. What does that mean exactly and why is that important?

If you read chapter 3 of Lamentations, it begins in a rather bleak fashion. The more you read, the more you wonder if there is ever going to be a light at the end of the tunnel. Thankfully, there is, and the author calls it hope.

The author tells us that despite how bad things can be for sinners, there is hope in God and in His mercies or compassions, which never run out. There is no end to them. In fact, they are renewed each morning.

If you think about everything on this planet, all of it is destined to perish. God’s mercies are not like that. Though streams dry up, trees fall and plants wither, God and His mercies remain.

What an encouragement to know that we can trust in, and rely on, God’s mercy and compassion. Regardless of our circumstances, regardless of those sins we still struggle with, regardless of any tornedo of negativity threatening to snatch us up, God’s mercy is available and plentiful.

Not only that, but as we read in 2 Cor. 5:17, in Christ we are a new creation! The old has gone and the new has come. The blood of Christ has made us clean and new.

Even though it is nice to have new things, it is infinitely more valuable to be a new thing, a new creation.

As we think about the new year, may it remind us that we are a new creation in Christ and God’s mercies are new every morning. May that bring us hope in 2019 and may we reflect that in our quest to go be radiant.

Come back next week for another something “new” I found in the Bible. You won’t want to miss it!

Please leave your comments below. See you next time.

 

 

 

Is it time for a New Year’s resolution or what? I’m going to say, or what! Watch my video for an alternative idea I have to starting off the new year right.

Please leave your comments below.

Happy New Year!

Christmas is almost here! Can you feel the excitement in the air? I must admit, even at my age, I just love this time of year. I love making gifts for people, having family and friends over, wrapping presents and counting down the days with my little ones.

Beyond the fun festivities the season brings, there is a deeper reason why Christmas is so special. Let’s read about it in John, chapter 3:

¹⁶ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. ¹⁸ Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. ¹⁹ This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. ²⁰ Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. ²¹ But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

I am so moved by knowing that we aren’t merely celebrating Jesus’ birth, but also the light that it brought into a very dark world. John, chapter 1 tells us:

⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome^[a] it.

It goes on to say:

⁹ The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.

Third Day has a beautiful song called, Jesus, Light of the World, that I’d love for you to listen to (or read the lyrics) if you have a few minutes.

One of the pastors at my church has been doing a series this month entitled, Light Has Come, and it so perfectly encapsulates the Hope, Joy, Peace, and Love that we can experience at Christmas and even throughout the year if we know Jesus.

We no longer have to live in the darkness of sin. As believers, we will still struggle with sin, but we are no longer bound by it. We are no longer slaves to it. Talk about Good News!

I am so thankful for the True Light that came into the world and changed it (and us) forever. I pray we have opportunities this Christmas to share and reflect that Light, which is our quest here at Goberadiant.

A big THANK YOU to all who have supported me this year in my blogging. Being radiant is not easy, but you have spurred me on in that area more than you know.

Wishing you a Christmas that is Merry and Bright and filled with Light – the Light of Jesus.

See you next year!

 

It’s pop quiz time! Whoever guesses the answer first wins. Ready? Here we go. What is a one-word, three-letter question that 3 and 4-year-olds ask a lot?

Did you guess it? That’s right, it’s the question, “Why?” It’s a popular question for little ones and even for adults. Asking that question usually helps us understand something more fully, doesn’t it?

What if asking it now, at Christmas time, could help us understand something a little more? Let’s try it.

Why did Jesus come all the way from heaven to be born into this world as a baby and later grow up to be the man who saved us from our sins? You could answer that in a few different ways but if you really had to narrow it down to just one reason, maybe even just one word, what would it be?

L O V E. He did it all for love.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16). 

Can you even imagine how big is God’s love for us?

Think about when a mom says to her son, “I love you to the moon and back.” Her love for him is soooo big that she helps him understand it by telling him how far it reaches. But she helps him understand that love even more by showing him that great love every day.

Sometimes it’s hard for us to understand just how much God continues to love us. Perhaps we could pray a prayer we find in the Bible to help us:

“I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” (Eph. 3:16-19)

Understanding God’s love motivates us to love Him back. The Bible says, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself.” (Luke 10:27)

As we prepare to celebrate Jesus’ birthday, one of the best gifts we can give Him, the gift He will most appreciate, is love. We can love Him and we can love others.

What are some ways we can show love to others this Christmas and throughout the year?

1. Bake cookies and wrap them up for your neighbors, a postal worker or cashier at the grocery store.
2. Spend quality time with someone and really listen to him/her. Be interested in what they care about and like.
3. Write a letter and let someone know how much they mean to you and what makes them special.
4. Do a task around the house without being asked and without complaining.

Here’s the last quiz question for the day: What are you going to do this week to show love to someone?

Let us go be radiant, or in Christmas terminology, let us go be bright.

Photo by Anna Sommer on Pexels.com

Wishing you a love-filled Christmas.

 

 

 

Often, when we think of peace, we think of an absence of noise around us. There are no horns going beep, beep. There are no airplanes whirring above. There are no dogs bark, barking in the background, it is simply serene and quiet.

However, there is another kind of peace that the Bible talks about. This kind of peace is not one that we experience around us, but rather, inside of us.

Let’s read about it in Luke 2:14. “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” Luke 2:14. The angels were announcing the birth of the Prince of Peace and it was He who would give people the opportunity to have peace in their hearts.

Jesus wanted His disciples to have peace and be encouraged after He left them and went back to heaven. He said to them, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27). This peace was like an actual possession–a parting gift Jesus was giving them. The Holy Spirit was going to be with the disciples and help them.

This peace was not an absence of noise, but rather, an absence of fear.

Jesus continued talking to His disciples and said to them, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33).

Jesus, Himself, is our peace (Eph. 2:14). Because of that, we, like the disciples, don’t have to worry or be afraid when we face hard things. Instead, we can remember that Jesus has overcome, and we share in His victory.

Here are some ways you can continue to think about and share the peace that you have in Jesus.

1. Take a couple of minutes and sing “Silent Night,” right now.
2. Go on a nature walk and share with someone how God has gifted us with His creation to promote peace in our lives.
3. Reach out to veterans and thank them for how they help promote peace and point out how Jesus gives us peace.
4. Have a night where you unplug from social media (phones, TV, and computers) and spend time together doing something that helps you focus on Jesus.

Wishing you a peace-filled Christmas!

Let us go be radiant this week!

Hello! Welcome to Go Be Radiant! I’m in the midst of a 4-week Christmas devotional series on Hope, Joy, Peace and Love. If you missed last week’s post, you can find it here. These devotionals are written for the whole family, so feel free to gather ’round and read them together.

Have you ever noticed what happens when people see a little baby? Their faces absolutely light up! Whether the baby is sweetly sleeping in his mother’s arms or eagerly taking in his surroundings, people can’t help but smile. Babies have a way of bringing tremendous joy to those around them.

This is one of my bundles of joy when he was a baby.

Do you think baby Jesus brought joy to those around Him too? I believe He did. But there was something extra special about the joy He brought. It was not only going to be for those near Him, but even for those far away. It was going to be for ALL people.

Right after Jesus was born, an angel appeared to some shepherds watching their flock at night. “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.’” Luke 2:10-11.

Why did Jesus’ birth cause such joy? Because His birth meant a promise had been fulfilled. Many, many years before, God promised to send someone who would “…proclaim good news to the poor,” and who would “…bind up the brokenhearted.” This person would also “…proclaim freedom for the captives.” Isiah 61:1. This was good news indeed!

The shepherds had to go see this baby that the angel had told them about. When they had witnessed, with their own eyes, this special baby boy, their hearts must have been filled with joy. “The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen which were just as they had been told.” Luke 2:20.

We know that this miraculous baby grew up to be a man and when He did, He had an important job to do. He would willingly give His life so that we could be with Him forever in heaven. As you can imagine, the disciples were grieved when Jesus died but their grief would turn to joy. Why? Because Jesus defeated death and rose from the grave! Another promise had been fulfilled!

Soon, it was time for Jesus to return to heaven and just before doing so, He blessed the disciples. “While He was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy.” Luke 24:51-52.

Why were the disciples joyful even though Jesus had left? Because they had the joy of knowing that their Lord was preparing a place for them and He was at the right hand of the Father, exactly where He was supposed to be. No one could ever take that joy from them.

The same is true for us. However, sometimes we don’t feel joyful because of difficult circumstances in our lives. If that’s true for you right now, take a few minutes and share how you have joy in Jesus even when things are hard.

Let’s turn our focus outward. Can you think of someone you know who needs joy in their life? Why not take a few minutes and write them a note of encouragement? I’m sure coloring a picture for them would also brighten their day. Another idea is to have a craft night with friends and use the word JOY in your craft, making a point to share the joy you have in Jesus.

The next time you see a baby, remember the joy we have in Jesus. Wishing you a joy-filled Christmas!

 

When one of the pastors from my church asked me to write a short series of devotionals for the weeks leading up to Christmas, I jumped at the chance. What a wonderful opportunity to focus on hope, joy, peace and love as we prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ.

Below is the first devotional I’ve written and it’s designed to be read with the whole family. I hope you enjoy it.

Long, long ago in a far away land, the people of Israel waited and hoped for a special King, the King of Kings. It was prophesied that this King would be and do great things. He would be like a light in the darkness. But before that could happen, He had to enter this world just like you and me, as a baby. Read what was written about Him in Isaiah 6:9:

“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.”

The people of Israel continued to wait and hope for this baby to arrive and many, many years later, in Luke 1:31-33, we read that it was time for the King to be born. The Angel, Gabriel, was speaking with a young woman named, Mary, and this is what he said to her:

“You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and He will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

Nine months later, the baby Jesus was born. The King the people of Israel hoped for was finally here!

As the years passed and Jesus grew up into a man, He gave not only the Israelites, but everyone around the world, including you and me, for generations to come, the greatest gift:  hope.

You see, when Jesus died on the cross and rose again on the third day, He paid for our sin, all the mistakes we would ever make, and gave us hope of eternal life with Him in heaven.

Hebrews 6:19 tells us that, “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure…”

Putting our hope in Jesus accomplishes for us what an anchor does for a ship. It makes it secure when strong winds blow, and waves come crashing down. So long as the anchor holds, and the ship is pointed in the right direction, it is safe. The same is true for us when hard things happen to us and around us. We are secure with our hope in Jesus.

Do you have people in your life who need hope? How about making a Hope Jar? On small pieces of paper, write down the names of people you know who need hope. Fold up the pieces of paper and put them in a jar. Each night at dinner or before bed, pull out a name from the jar and pray for that person.

Another idea is to look at needs of those in your community and brainstorm as a family how you might be able to meet those needs and give some hope. Maybe it’s providing a meal, giving them a ride, spending time with them or simply offering them encouragement.

Let us be radiant this week and this Christmas season, by bringing hope to those who need it most.

Wishing you a hope-filled Christmas and year to come.