December, 2000

The key is Jesus

Jesus is supreme

Celebrate Christmas

Seek holiness

Be a leader

Expect wonders of wonders

(December 31, 2000 1:36 PM CST)

"Conduct yourselves, then,
in a way worthy of the gospel of Christ."
Philippians 1:27

Do your actions reflect your beliefs?
Are you a peaceful person?
Is there honesty in your conversations?
Are you a loving, caring person?
How will you celebrate the New Year tonight?
Would Christ be pleased?
People should be able to look at you and see Christ.
Conduct your life well.
Be worthy.

(December 30, 2000 6:13 AM CST)

Last night at the Westroads Mall
I ran into someone I know from work.
They were looking for a shoe store,
so I told them I would help them find it.
I walk there almost every day.
I've seen every store hundreds of times.
My first thought was a store on the second level,
but I was mistaken.
It was a shoe store, but not the right one.
I needed to listen more closely to the name.
Then I figured out where it was on the first level
and I took them right there.
It took me two tries, but I figured it out.
I said I was sorry to mislead them.
Happy New Year.
Bye.

"You will show me the path to life,
fullness of joys in your presence,
the delights at your right hand forever."
Psalms 16:11

There is a path.
It leads to heaven.
It is a delight.
It is something to behold.
Jesus knows the path.
He is joy unspeakable.
He puts out his hand and invites you.
He will show you the path.
He will walk with you side by side.
It won't take two tries, like with me.
He knows the way.

(December 29, 2000 6:08 AM CST)

"Jesus said,
'Let the children come to me.
do not hinder them.
The kingdom of God belongs to such as these.'
And he laid his hand on their heads
before he left that place."
Matthew 19:14-15

Children are very important.
I hear some people say:
I don't want to have children.
Children teach us many things.
They teach us about faith and trust.
Watch a child pray.
It is simple.
It is cute.
It is not complicated.
It is from the heart.
They believe that God will answer their prayers.
It is child-like faith and trust.
We need it.
Ask children to pray for you.

(December 28, 2000 6:10 AM CST)

"May he who is the Lord of peace
give you continued peace in every possible way.
The Lord be with you all."
2 Thessalonians 3:16

Do you have peace in your life?
Is everything chaos?
Is there a sense of order?
Peace comes from knowing God.
You follow his way.
He teaches you how to live.
It is possible to have peace.
It continues on and on through all your years.
The Lord be with you.
He is on your side.
He is there.

(December 27, 2000 6:04 AM CST)

"Every worthwhile gift,
every genuine benefit comes from above,
descending from the Father of the heavenly luminaries,
who cannot change and who is never shadowed over."
James 1:17

You received some gifts on Christmas.
You thanked the people that gave them to you.
Did you thank the Lord?
He is the giver of all good gifts.
Thank the Lord for his many blessings.
He is a loving Father.
He cares about you.
He wants only what is best for you.
The Father comes to give you gifts
and the shadows are driven away.
Thank the Lord.

(December 26, 2000 6:11 AM CST)

Yesterday it was overcast in Omaha,
so I couldn't observe the partial eclipse directly.
It was on CNN , so I watched it that way.
Was it a sign from God on Christmas Day?

"The Spirit scrutinizes all matters,
even the deep things of God."
1 Corinthians 2:10

We see things.
We observe things in life.
Are they signs from God?
Are they messages from God to us?
That's why we have been given the Holy Spirit.
The Spirit will lead us to the truth.
The eclipse can say God is great.
He is awesome.
He is beyond us.
He is beautiful and mysterious.
Then again it was just partial.
It was not a total eclipse.
God could be calling us to be totally committed to him.
He could be saying something like that, maybe not.
It takes the Spirit to know.
Call on the Spirit for wisdom and knowledge.
Lord, we want to know you.
Reveal yourself to us.
Teach us, Lord.

(December 25, 2000 7:02 AM CST)

It's Christmas Day.
It should be an exciting day.
It's Liz's birthday,
so Happy Birthday, Liz!
God bless you and your family.
We also are having a
partial eclipse of the sun today.
Do not look directly at the sun.
Use a pin hole in a piece of heavy paper
to "watch" the moon cover part of the sun.
In Omaha this happens around 11 AM.

"They went in haste
and found Mary and Joseph,
and the baby lying in the manger;
once they saw,
they understood what had been told them
concerning this child.
All who heard of it were astonished
at the report given them by the shepherds."
Luke 2:16-18

Last night at church the sermon was given
while he held a baby in his arms.
That was different.
I had not seen that before.
It was a baby girl maybe 2 months old.
It kept your attention.
The baby had a nook in her mouth,
so she did not cry at all.
I think she was asleep,
which is hard to believe
with Tom shouting out his Christmas message.
I know Tom from Spring, 1979.
We met in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Interesting that we cross paths again.
I will have to talk to him sometime.
Well, I hope you are surprised today.
I hope that this Christmas you find "the baby"
and maybe an old friend.
Jesus (baby) is the light (sun)
that drives the darkness (shadow) away.
Go in haste.
Be astonished.
Merry Christmas from me to you!

(December 24, 2000 6:31 AM CST)

What is on your Grown-up Christmas List ?
The music for this song (878K wav file).

"The angel went on to say to her:
'Do not fear, Mary.
You have found favor with God.
You shall conceive and bear a son
and give him the name of Jesus.
Great will be his dignity
and he will be called Son of the Most High.'"
Luke 1:30-32

Read the first 2 chapters of Luke
using the link above.
There is so much there.
There is so much to ponder and wonder about.
It is a mystery.
It is a love story.
It has sadness and great joy.
Read the words.
Ask the Lord to reveal himself to you this Christmas.
Who is this child born of Mary?

(December 23, 2000 6:30 AM CST)

"As for you,
let what you heard from the beginning
remain in your hearts.
If what you heard from the beginning
does remain in your hearts,
then you in turn will remain in the Son
and in the Father.
He himself made us a promise
and the promise is no less than this:
eternal life."
1 John 2:24-25

It's all about life.
Will you live forever with God?
Will you have eternal life?
Life comes from Jesus.
That is life.
That is love.
We all seek love in our lives.
We need that hug.
We need warmth.
We need friends.
God is love.
Come...
live with God forever.
It is a promise from God to you this Christmas, 2000.

(December 22, 2000 9:03 AM CST)

Christmas is approaching fast.
Are you ready?

"I sought the Lord, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears."
Psalms 34:5

Do you live in fear?
Are you worried about many things?
The Lord sends his angel.
He brings a message from God to you this Christmas.
He says: fear not.
Do not be afraid.
The Lord is with you.
He is there to protect you.
Fear not.

(December 21, 2000 6:05 AM CST)

"Therefore the Lord himself
will give you this sign:
the virgin shall be with child,
and bear a son,
and shall name him Immanuel."
Isaiah 7:14

It is Mary giving birth to a son.
It is a sign from God.
He cares for us.
He loves us.
He is the Lord that has come to dwell with us.
He lives with us.
He is the sign.

(December 20, 2000 6:07 AM CST)

Update at 1:48 PM....
Hi, it's me, I'm on vacation today,
so I scanned in some pictures of my trip to Nevada.
Let's start with the
postcard picture of Hoover Dam .
All these pictures are from December 13, 2000.
The next is a picture inside the dam of the turbines .
Notice the Season's Greetings.
The next is from the Visitor's Center
looking out to the Nevada side of the dam .
It is the border between Nevada and Arizona.
This is Highway 93 and it is very busy.
Here is the walkway and traffic lanes
on the dam.
It was about 50F (10C) degrees that day,
and it was windy on top of the dam.
Next is a picture of the Colorado River
as it continues out of the dam.
If you want to read about Hoover Dam,
here is the official site .
(End of Update.)

I really like the song
Joy by Cindy Morgan .
It's on the CD
One Silent Night .

Jesus answered,
"Anyone who loves me
will be true to my word..."
John 14:23

What is the question?
(Read the verse in the Bible just before this.)
The Lord gives you an answer.
Will you accept it?
Do you know what he is saying?
Does what Jesus has to say mean anything to you?
He is the truth.
Do you believe it?
He gives you words of life.
These are words to live by and grow.
Be true to God.
Commit your life to him.
He will reveal the truth.
He is the answer.

(December 19, 2000 6:09 AM CST)

"Your attitude must be that of Christ."
Philippians 2:5

What is your attitude?
How do you approach life?
What are your goals?
How do you treat others?
Only you can answer these questions.
Line your life up with Christ.
Do what he would do.
Say what he would say.
Love as he would love.

(December 18, 2000 6:11 AM CST)

Last year we had hardly any snow, but...
not this year.
We are getting another 4 to 8 inches (10 to 20 cm)
of snow today.
A White Christmas is very likely.
It will take a long time to melt all this snow.
Yes, they did cancel school.
Good day to go sledding at Memorial Park .

"There lived in Jerusalem at the time
a certain man named Simeon.
He was just and pious,
and awaited the consolation of Israel,
and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
It was revealed to him by the Holy Spirit
that he would not experience death
until he had seen the Anointed of the Lord."
Luke 2:25-26

We wait.
We wonder.
We look with anticipation.
We pray for his coming.
We pray to recognize him.
He is Anointed.
He is Christ.
He is our consolation.
The Holy Spirit reveals him.
Death is not a problem anymore.
The Lord is in control of our lives.
Wait for the Lord.

(December 17, 2000 8:24 AM CST)

"The Lord sets captives free;
the Lord gives sight to the blind."
Psalms 146:7-8

We are captive.
Sin holds us.
It can destroy us.
The Lord comes to set you free.
He comes to forgive your sins.
He opens your eyes to new life and hope.
He gives you a new purpose.
He gives you a new vision.
Your life will change.
You will be set free.

(December 16, 2000 8:10 AM CST)

It is a windy morning.
You can hear it.

Jesus said to them,
"Come after me;
I will make you fishers of men."
Mark 1:17

Follow Jesus.
It is that simple.
Follow the Lord of life.
He knows the way that leads to life.
He will teach you to fish.
He will provide the equipment.
You provide yourself and your time.
He wants to bring others into the kingdom.
You are a fisherman (or fisherwoman).
The sea is huge.
There are lots of fish.
It's time to go fishing.
Go fish .

(December 15, 2000 6:01 AM CST)

I made it back yesterday at about 5 PM.
I went to Henderson, Nevada to see my niece,
her husband and new baby Austin.
God bless them all.

"Pray perseveringly,
be attentive to prayer,
and pray in a spirit of thanksgiving."
Colossians 4:2

We thank the Lord today.
We praise him in the dry warm desert.
We praise him in the snow and the cold.
We focus our attention on the living God.
He is everywhere.
He watches over all his children.
He is up above the clouds and below the lake.
We pray to him.
We receive his blessings.
We say thanks.

(December 12, 2000 6:05 AM CST)

I won't be able to update this again until Friday.

It is very cold this morning -9F (-23C).

"I am sure of this much:
that he who has begun the good work in you
will carry it through to completion,
right up to the day of Christ Jesus."
Philippians 1:6

The Lord started it.
The Lord will finish it.
He grants you grace and it grows and grows.
He is with you every day.
He is your encouragement.
He is your strength.
He carries you.
Turn to him.
Pray to him.
Help me, Lord, to be all that you want me to be.
Be sure.

(December 11, 2000 6:02 AM CST)

We are getting snow this morning.
I bet they cancel school.
You can watch it snow .

"We exhort you to admonish the unruly;
cheer the fainthearted;
support the weak;
be patient toward all."
1 Thessalonians 5:14

Help one another.
Support them anyway that you can.
Give encouragement.
Be patient.
Teach them.
Give correction.
Cheer them up.
Be a friend.

(December 10, 2000 7:27 AM CST)

"Thanks be to God,
who unfailingly leads us on
in Christ's triumphal train,
and employs us to diffuse
the fragrance of his knowledge everywhere!"
2 Corinthians 2:14

Spread the word.
Make Christ known.
You change jobs.
You move to another neighborhood or city.
God moves you around.
Share the fragrance of grace.
Tell of his knowledge.
Christ will lead you to new people.
You are sent.
Share what you know.

(December 9, 2000 8:58 AM CST)

I was just looking at the statistics for spring2life.com and
a lot of you are reading about January, 2000 .
I should go back and re-read it.
It was a fun time.

"Every time, then,
you eat this bread and drink this cup,
you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes!"
1 Corinthians 11:26

Celebrate Jesus.
We receive Communion.
We celebrate it together with our brothers and sisters.
It is a reminder that Jesus died for us.
It reminds us of life and death.
The grain of wheat dies.
The grapes are crushed.
He is the bread of life.
He is the new wine.
He will come again.
Amen.
I believe.

(December 8, 2000 6:04 AM CST)

"From the heavens
he sends down rain and rich harvests;
your spirits he fills with food and delight."
Acts 14:17

God has been good to us.
We have more than enough to eat.
We have had a rich harvest.
He blesses us.
We thank the Lord for his goodness.
We are delighted.
He fills our spirit.
He renews us and refreshes us.
We are thankful.
Thank you, Lord.

(December 7, 2000 6:08 AM CST)

Lately I've been thinking about "the perfect Christmas gift."
What is it?
I guess when you receive it you would be surprised.
You would not expect it.
It might be something you dream about,
but you have not told anyone about it.
It would be a magical moment.
You would re-live the moment over and over for years to come
and tell everyone about it.
You would be speechless.
It might bring tears to your eyes.
It would take your breath away.
There would be a child-like rush of joy.
You'd want to jump up and down.
The perfect gift...what would it be?

"I will bless the Lord at all times;
his praise shall be ever in my mouth."
Psalms 34:2

Bless the Lord.
Praise the Lord.
Say it with your mouth.
Proclaim how great he is.
We praise you, Lord, today.
We thank you for the gifts that you give us.
Everyday you bless us over and over.
We are so grateful for your kindness.
You are so wonderful.
Thank you, Lord.

(December 6, 2000 6:01 AM CST)

We received a dusting of snow overnight.
It brightens things up.
We thank the Lord for his beauty.

"The virgin shall be with child
and give birth to a son,
and they shall call him Emmanuel,"
a name which means
"God is with us."
Matthew 1:23

That is what Christmas is about.
It is about Mary
giving birth to a son named Jesus.
She was a virgin.
He was God.
It is a miracle of miracles.
It is a mystery.
God has visited his people.
He sent a person to save them.
He sent his Son.
He was the promise from long ago.
It is a wonderful thing.
God is with us.

(December 5, 2000 6:01 AM CST)

"How lovely is your dwelling place,
O Lord of hosts!
My soul yearns and pines
for the courts of the Lord."
Psalms 84:2-3

Come away.
Come visit the Lord.
Come to his place.
Spend time with him.
Let your soul be renewed.
Let your spirit be lifted up.
Be refreshed in his court.
Wonder about who he is.
See what he has done.
Come away for a little while.

(December 4, 2000 6:09 AM CST)

Jesus said,
"A good person produces goodness
from the good in their heart;
an evil person produces evil
out of their store of evil.
Each person speaks from their heart's abundance."
Luke 6:45

What is in your heart?
What is in your abundance?
Search your heart.
Is there any love to be found?
Do you see any goodness?
Fill your heart with love.
Love God.
Love all those near you.
Speak words of love.
Produce goodness.

(December 3, 2000 8:39 AM CST)

This week Billy Graham
will have 2 TV programs.
You can search these TV Listings .
In Omaha they are on channel 15 KXVO
Friday, December 8th at 9 PM and
Saturday, December 9th at 7 PM.
In Lincoln they are on channel 10 KOLN
Thursday, December 7th at 8 PM and
Saturday, December 9th at 8 PM.
In Tucson they are on channel 13 KOLD
Thursday, December 7th at 8 PM and
Saturday, December 9th at 7 PM.

"What we await are new heavens and a new earth
where, according to his promise,
the justice of God will reside."
2 Peter 3:13

We look forward.
We await the day.
We wait for the Lord Jesus to come in glory.
We wait for the sky to light up.
There will be glorious sounds.
It is a promise.
He will come again.
There will be justice one day.
Come Lord Jesus.
He is the promise.

(December 2, 2000 7:37 AM CST)

"The Spirit distinctly says
that in later times
some will turn away from the faith
and will heed deceitful spirits
and things taught by demons..."
1 Timothy 4:1

You need to keep on the alert.
The things of the world will distract you.
They will pull you away from God.
You need to keep up your defenses.
Hang on to your faith.
Stay close to the Lord.
Don't turn away from your faith.
Follow the ways of the Lord Jesus.

(December 1, 2000 6:08 AM CST)

"You are not your own.
You have been purchased, and at a price.
So glorify God in your body."
1 Corinthians 6:19-20

You have been given life.
It is a gift to you.
Use your body to glorify God.
Make a difference.
Do what God asks of you.
You are his.
You belong to him.
Be a humble person.
Be a person of respect.
Honor God in all that you do.