Beautifully Kept

  Our first month of 2017 is drawing to a close. A brand new year is ahead of us. Are your New Year’s resolutions still holding strong or are they beginning to wane a bit? Or maybe you are like me and you don’t even bother making resolutions because you already know you’ll never stick to them anyway.

  Does a new year hold promise for you or does it bring hesitation of the unknown? I try to look at a new year with hope instead of hesitation, but we just never know what a new year will bring with it. I think we can at least expect a mixed bag of blessings and hardships. Hopefully the blessings will outweigh the hardships but even if they don’t, God will see us through. No matter what a day, a week, a month, or a year brings, God is in it.

  God is there when the doctor helps to deliver your new baby and God is there when the doctor delivers the news that you or a loved one has cancer. God is there when you land that perfect job and God is there when you lose your job that supports your family. God is there when you say, “I do” to the love of your life and God is there when the love has grown cold and walked out the door.

  God smiles in our joys and holds us in our sorrows. I have said this before: God is our One True Constant. We were made by Him and for Him and yet we are the ones who receive the wealth of His love. We can do nothing to earn this kind of love. This kind of love is absolute. God freely gives it. It is ours for the taking and it is by far the greatest thing you will ever have on earth. It far exceeds your best day ever and it far outweighs your darkest night.

  So if you have placed your life in God’s hands then no matter what today, tomorrow, or this next year brings, you are and will be beautifully kept by God.

Blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

1 Peter 1:3-5 (Emphasis added)

Dina Pugh

Christmas is Messy

 I’m not sure when it began, but for several generations now we have been duped. We have been led to believe that alongside the celebration of Jesus’ birth there needs to be more. There needs to be decorations on trees, lights on houses, gingerbread cookies warm from the oven, gifts to buy, parties to attend, and the list goes on. And with all of these “necessary” things comes the misguided idea that it all has to be picture perfect and Pinterest worthy.

  But what happens when it’s not? What happens when you strive to make everything perfect but you burn the cookies, forget to buy Uncle David’s gift, and your beautifully decorated tree is dead two weeks before Christmas Day? Is Christmas ruined?

Christmas can never be ruined because Christmas isn’t about things, it’s about the Person of Jesus. It’s God leaving His dwelling of unimaginable splendor, glory and perfection and stepping into a messy, filthy world.

So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Luke 2:6-7

  Jesus brought His goodness into our brokenness, He shed His light into our darkness. And guess what? Jesus still does this today. He is Emmanuel; God With Us.So if you are finding yourself striving for the perfect Christmas, don’t. It already came. The perfect Christmas was given to us 2,000 years ago. Let the wonder of Jesus be your Christmas.

Then the angel said to them, 
“Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 
For there in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:10-11

Dina Pugh

The Power Behind the Thunderstorm

My absolute favorite season is here; Fall. I love all things Fall…the changing of leaves, pumpkin spiced lattes, the cool, crisp air and the excuse to wear boots and scarves.

Along with this year’s fall came our first fairly substantial rain for the season. Although rain is not my favorite (yes, I know how desperately we need it here in CA) I do, however, love thunderstorms.

As I drove our son to school this morning, a thunderstorm was almost on top of us. The flashes of lightning were brilliant, but it is the thunder that I most enjoy. Maybe I enjoy the thunder more than the lightning because I know the thunder won’t hurt me. The thunder rolls loud and booms with power, but it causes no harm. The lightning’s power is different. It cracks and flashes through the sky in mere moments and can cause harm to anything it touches.

Thunder and lightning are powerful, but the One who created the thunder and lightning is All-Powerful. He alone holds the universe in His hands. How often do we stop and take a moment from our frazzled lives to think about the wonder of God? Are we so constantly wrapped up in ourselves and in our needs, wants, and expectations that we forget the hands that made us?

The Bible tells us in the first chapter and verse of the gospel of John that Jesus is the Word and that the Word is God.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

The Bible goes on to say in Hebrews 4:12-13: “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.”

That’s power.

Like lightning’s power to slice through the air and reach its target, God’s power can slice through our very soul and spirit, exposing the true intents of our heart. Something to think about. I’ll leave you with the words found in Joel:

So rend your heart and not your garments; return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness; and He relents from doing harm. Joel 2:13

Dina Pugh

What’s Up Ahead?

  I was taking my husband to the airport the other day when all of a sudden, the freeway came to a dead stop. Traffic on a California freeway? Shock of shocks. For the next several miles, it was stop and go. Good thing we ended up leaving earlier than we had originally planned. We finally arrived at the heart of the problem: Construction. Good ol’ construction.

  As we passed the construction site the freeway opened up and our speed returned to normal. My husband commented, “It sure would be nice if there was something that would tell you instantly what was happening a few miles ahead. Then you could prepare.” I thought about what he said and thought to myself, “Yeah it would be nice, too, if life was like that. To know what’s coming so we could be ready.”

  But God doesn’t let us know in advance what’s around the corner. He doesn’t give us a heads up on the unexpected detour in our life or the unexpected joyful surprise that’s waiting for us. On the surface, that may seem unfair. But as you dig deeper, you begin to understand that God keeps us in the dark, so to speak, for our benefit. Think about it. If you knew in advance the blessings God was about to bring you, where would your focus be? Would it be on the here and now? No, most likely your mind and heart would be distracted on the upcoming blessing. If you knew in advance the difficult valley you were about to walk through, where would your focus be? Would it be on the here and now? No, most likely your mind and heart would be filled with distress on the impending struggle. Does God want our focus on what lies ahead? No. God wants our focus on Him and on what we have in the present, trusting Him for whatever the day brings us. 

Proverbs 27:1 Tells us: Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.

  If we are rooted in God, we have all we need for what awaits us whether good or bad. It’s called Grace. God’s grace is an incredible gift. It is the source of our blessings and it is strength for our difficulties. 2 Corinthians12:9 says: And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”  I like the Amplified Bible’s version of this passage, it opens up the richness of this promise: He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, my loving kindness and my mercy are more than enough – always available – regardless of the situation: for my power is being perfected and is completed and shows itself most effectively in your weakness.”

  So although we may think it would be nice to know what’s ahead, in reality, we would be robbing ourselves of experiencing yet another facet of God’s amazing grace.

Dina Pugh

A Heavenly Country

Heaven. We are closer today than we were yesterday and tomorrow will bring us closer than we are today.

But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them. Hebrews 11:16

That’s me. Quite often, I too, find myself desiring a better, heavenly country. One free of pain and sorrow, one free of sickness, violence, and death. To physically be where the Lord is, well that would just be the bee’s knees wouldn’t it?

But although we are not yet physically where God is, He is most certainly where we are. Thank the Lord for that! He is with us! In every trial, in every breaking headline, in every situation and circumstance, God is here with us. Immanuel.

God brings us His peace and His comforts. He wraps us in His love in magnificent ways. The laughter of a child, the understanding of a friend. The gold and silver of daybreak, the burst of color just before sunset. All of these are tangible gifts of God’s presence.

Everyday He gives us a taste of our heavenly country and whispers softly to our hearts, “The best is yet to come!”

Dina Pugh

Free Indeed

Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.

John 8:36

This verse came to mind as I sat in my car the other day. I was in the parking lot at Citrus Plaza waiting on my son when I took notice of the American flags flying in the breeze throughout the area. There was one particular flag that caught my attention. Unlike the other flags, whose stars and stripes flowed easily in the wind, the corner of this flag had become caught on something and sadly it just hung there, motionless. I realized in that moment how much I have in common with that sad, motionless flag.

Flags are designed to display that for which they stand for. Flags are made to be anchored to something, but this anchoring is in no way a hindrance to the flag. The anchor is the flag’s solid support. While safely anchored, the flag is free to open itself wide and do what it was made to do; fly freely in the wind showing those around it its beauty. So when a flag is not doing what it was made to do, like the one I noticed that was caught, it’s not displaying its full potential.

I, too, am designed to display that for which I stand for;Jesus. Just like a flag needs to be anchored, I need to be anchored not to something but to Someone who is my solid support. With the Lord as my anchor, I am free to open myself wide and do what I was made to do; live my life in the full freedom of Christ. However, like I said, I’m afraid I’m more like the flag that was stuck than the ones that were free.  How so? 

Whenever I let fear, worry or doubt creep in then a part of me gets stuck. Whenever I hold back forgiveness or not extend my hand in love, a part of me gets stuck. Whenever I let sin go un-confessed, a part of me gets stuck. Whenever I put anything above or before God, I get stuck.

There are so many things in this life that can cause us all to become stuck. I don’t want to be stuck like that flag. I want to be free. Therefore, I will continue to trust my Anchor and with His help, open myself up big and wide and live free in Him.

Dina Pugh