A Weekly Walk in the Word

Matthew 2:9-11  After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were over joyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.

How will you and your family celebrate the Jesus’ birth? Will you travel? What will you give Jesus this year?

Christmas is quickly approaching with so many things left to check off my “to do” list. If you are still searching for that perfect gift for under your tree, look no further. Help me to get young people excited about reading the Bible and taking the next step on their faith journey. I am offering my book Walking in the Word for just $14.99 per copy. Contact me today to get your signed copies as we walk through the New Testament together.

What can I give Him, poor as I am?

If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;

If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;

Yet what I can I give Him: give my heart.

Malachi 4:2  But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall.

The music played during advent may be my favorite part of preparing for Christ’s birth. On Thursday evening I had the privilege of attending the St. Olaf Christmas Festival with my family. To say it was amazing would be an understatement! The full orchestra played while 5 different conductors directed the over 400 student member choirs.  Everyone was on point. The concert began with an African American Spiritual Keep Your Lamps and ended with the choirs encircling the audience singing Beautiful Savior. The evening was truly a piece of heaven here on earth. If you are interested in hearing the concert, St. Olaf will present a live video stream on Sunday, December 3 at 3:00pm. Visit christmas.stolaf.edu for more information.

Do you have a favorite Christmas song? Is it a song you sang when you were young, or a new release from an artist you admire? Why is the song special to you?

Turn up the music this advent season while you prepare for Jesus to come!

Hail the heav’n-born Prince of Peace!

Hail the Sun of Righteousness!

Light and Life to all, Christ brings!

Ris’n with healing in His wings!

2 Timothy 2:22  Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

I don’t know about you, but I found it difficult to relax with my family this year while  celebrating Thanksgiving because of all the Black Friday hype. It seemed to be everywhere. I am already so tired of the commercialism of Christmas….

It started with the breaking of the wishbone and making wishes for more things. Then moved to the shopping (which began at 11am on Thanksgiving this year). It all continued with bigger and better deals every hour. Black Friday rolled into Small Business Saturday into Cyber Monday.  When will enough be enough?

So, this year as the wishbone was broken in our home, I made a wish to make Christ the focus of Christmas as we pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace.

Wishing you all peace this Christmas Season!

Ezekiel 35:26 – I will cause my people and their homes around my holy hill to be a blessing. And I will send showers, showers of blessings, which will come just when they are needed. 

How has God showered you with blessings this past year? Take time this Thanksgiving week to list them out. Name them one by one…… Which reminds me of the old hymn Count Your Blessings. The song was published in 1897, but is still relevant today.

1. When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed,
   When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
   Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
   And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.
   • Refrain:
     Count your blessings, name them one by one,
     Count your blessings, see what God has done!
     Count your blessings, name them one by one,
     Count your many blessings, see what God has done.
2. Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
   Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
   Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly,
   And you will keep singing as the days go by.
3. When you look at others with their lands and gold,
   Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold;
   Count your many blessings—money cannot buy
   Your reward in heaven, nor your home on high.
4. So, amid the conflict whether great or small,
   Do not be discouraged, God is over all;
   Count your many blessings, angels will attend,
   Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.

Blessings from the Playter house to yours! When you surround yourself with those you love this holiday season, you are blessed.

Psalms 139:5-6  You hem me in – behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.

I love the imagery found throughout the Psalms!

The quilt in the picture above is one that I was able to purchase this summer from a woman in her 80’s hand stitched by her great-grandmother. The fabrics date back to the 1860’s – 1890’s. Just think of the stories this quilt could tell….  After over 100 years of use, it is showing a little ware. The batting is coming out and the binding has let loose.

You hem me in – When my life starts unraveling and the ugly batting begins to come out, I find comfort knowing that God will hem me in. He lays his hand upon me and tells me it is going to be alright.

Now that the days are colder in Minnesota, I plan to use the period correct fabric I found to replace the binding on this quilt. With every stitch I make, I will be reminded of God’s hand at work in my life…. hemming me in!

Matthew 24:12-13  Because of increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.

It would be easy to give up on humans with all the evil that happens in our world every day. I struggle to turn on the 5 o’clock news anymore because it seems all the stories televised involve hatred, corruption or death.

So, how do we stay warm in a world filled with coldness?

Jesus is the only answer. When we focus on Jesus’ love, we are like the brightly colored orange pumpkins blanketed by the white snow. Jesus will melt away the cold hearts so that His love shines through for all to see. The cold may stay for a season, but eventually it melts into brighter, warmer days.

How can you be a pumpkin this week to share the warmth of Jesus’ love?

Today is Reformation Sunday, and this year Lutherans are commemorating the 500th anniversary of the Reformation!
Reformation Sunday remembers when Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses in Wittenberg, Germany, on Oct. 31, 1517, which led to changes that have shaped the course of Western Christianity for 500 years. 

Luther’s Preface in the catechism was written in A.D. 1529. It begins…..

The deplorable conditions in which I found religious affairs during a recent visitation of the congregations, has impelled me to publish this Catechism, or statement of the Christian doctrine, after having prepared it in very brief and simple terms. Alas! what misery I beheld! The people, especially those who live in the villages, seem to have no knowledge whatever of Christian doctrine, and many of the pastors are ignorant and incompetent teachers. And, nevertheless, they all maintain that they have received the Lord’s Supper. Yet they cannot recite the Lord’s Prayer, the Creed, or the Ten Commandments; they live as if they were irrational creatures, and now that the Gospel has come to them, they grossly abuse their Christian liberty.

We pray for the church.

Psalm 125:2  As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people both now and forevermore.

Mike and I were in Colorado last week visiting our daughter who attends Colorado State University. While there we attended the CSU homecoming football game, tailgated, ate too much and hiked the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. During every trip to Colorado, I am in awe of the beauty of nature, but especially in the fall with the Aspen leaves turning a brilliant yellow color against the mountain backdrop. It is breathtaking!

The hardest part of going to visit Hannah, is coming home. I thought it would get easier to leave her after two years, but it isn’t. I hate leaving her by herself when she is so far from home.

The day after we returned to Minnesota, I was working on a Beth Moore Bible Study, and guess what the Bible treasure for the day was?! That’s right! Psalm 125:2. God is so good! I sobbed as I reread the verse. The Lord surrounds his people like the mountains. The physical mountains of Colorado surround the CSU campus. God surrounds my daughter. Nothing can get to her without going through the mighty mountain of the Lord.

Thank you Lord for protecting your children!

1 Thessalonians 5:15-18:  Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else. Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

I have a difficult time watching the news these days without becoming depressed. The news anchor goes from hurricanes to floods to earthquakes to fires to shootings. A wise friend told me just this week that when she watches the news she looks for acts of kindness people are performing in the midst of disaster. Instead of sticking my head in the sand by not watching the news, I began putting this practice in action. I encourage you to do the same.  Watch the news intentionally looking for kindness, and if you cannot find any, then I challenge you to become the kindness in the world for someone that day!

Romans 8:37-39  No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Following the tragedy in Las Vegas, the President of the United States of America ordered all flags be flown at half-staff as a mark of respect to honor the victims of Sunday night’s senseless act of violence. There are no words to express the feeling of loss and devastation. Our only comfort comes from knowing that even through the evil in this world, there is nothing that can separate us from the love of God.