In this week’s Martha Monday video, Laura shared an organization hack that can help you get rid of piles hanging around on various surfaces AND be able to instantly retrieve documents you need and want. We invite you to watch as Laura demonstrates her simple, inexpensive method (using 12 hanging file folders) to help you tame the clutter in 2024!
But if from there you seek the LORD your God
you will find him if you seek him
with all your heart and with all your soul.
Deuteronomy 4:29
The Book of Deuteronomy reminds me of a parent sending a child off to college. You’ve told them everything already, you’ve modeled and trained, but it all needs to be said again before you drive away from campus. The word Deuteronomy means, “repetition” or “second law.”
Moses is repeating everything he has already shared with his “children” (the Israelites) as they prepare to enter the promised land. He will not go with them. The baton of leadership will pass to Joshua.
Do you hear the urgency in his words? He is pleading – be all in! ALL your heart and ALL your soul! He desperately desires to motivate them to live for God.
Forty years has passed since Moses led them out of Egypt. But getting out of exile is not an end in itself. If Egypt was the “negative,” the wilderness is neutral ground. Now it’s time to move into the positive: to enter the long-awaited promised land and return home to the place given their ancestor, Abraham.
Moving into the land of promise and finding the blessing that awaits them requires trust in God.
They could not free themselves from bondage in Egypt. They were hemmed in with no way out, but God made a way where there was none. He parted the Red Sea! This is a beautiful metaphor for our salvation. We, too, are in bondage, enslaved by our own sin. Like the physical situation of the Israelites, we have no way out spiritually. But God made a way. He parted the Red Sea. He sent His Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.
What comes next? Shouldn’t the Israelites in Old Testament times – and every believer now – be so grateful for freedom that we commit ourselves to living for Him?
Sadly, the Israelites fell short … as do we. They disobeyed God, even resorting to idolatry. Their disobedience delayed the blessing of the promised land as they wandered in the desert for 40 years – freed from bondage, but not yet enjoying all the blessings that awaited them.
Out of the negative, but not moving into the positive.
Are you a follower of Jesus but find yourself wandering in the desert – living less, when God has more? The call is to move forward to live for God: to follow after Him, to live according to His righteous ways.
This is the best life. This is the way of receiving all God has for us.
This is the life Moses spurs the Israels then (and us now) to lean into. An all-in, wholehearted life! No more playing the hokey pokey, in today and out tomorrow.
Seek the Lord! It’s a choice that requires action and effort. We don’t just accidentally stumble onto God’s truth. We go after it. Every. Single. Day. It means placing ourselves in His presence, putting our faces in His Book (before scrolling Facebook!), and daily seeking the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
But always remember: We don’t follow Him to find his love. We follow Him because we already are loved!
Let’s pray that 2024 is the year we move out of the desert and into Promised Land living! Are you with me? Let’s choose to be ALL IN – seeking Him with ALL our hearts and ALL our souls!
You may have read or even memorized Matthew 6:33, “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness …”
But what does it mean, and what is the practical application of that truth? In our latest devotional video, Laura endeavors to answer those questions as she unpacks this powerful verse from our January Write the WORD bookmark. We invite you to watch her teaching, and then join us this month as we read, write, and study verses that highlight the word, SEEK.
We are beginning 2024 with a focus on seeking God … and we pray that you will commit to joining us in this endeavor. Visit our Downloads page today for your January Write the WORD bookmark, optional S.O.A.P. study outline pages, and other free resources to help you love and serve God and those He has placed in your sphere of influence.
A simple question, but an important one.
Consider the answer carefully, as it determines your destiny for eternity.
Do you know Jesus?
Your answer may be, “Of course, I know Him.”
All true. All correct answers. But with all due respect, these are, “Just the facts, ma’am.”
I’m asking about whether you know Him. Really know Him. Do you have a relationship with Jesus? Not just know about Him – but truly know Him?
Have you given your life to Him? Is your identity for today and for tomorrow and for forever all wrapped up in knowing Him?
Would you prayerfully consider your answers to those questions?
Another Christmas has passed. You may have begun (or even finished) making exchanges, packing away decorations, and eating the last of the Christmas goodies before launching January’s healthy eating plan.
But before you let another Christmas go entirely, I’m praying God would invade your mind and pierce your heart with some probing questions:
Please take some time to watch and consider this week’s teaching video, the last in our study of The Characters of Christmas. My prayer is that it clearly and succinctly presents the gospel in a way that you will both hear and receive it.
Please watch and consider sharing the video:
On coming to the house, they saw the child
with his mother Mary,
and they bowed down and worshiped him.
Then they opened their treasures and presented him
with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
Matthew 2:11
The Magi, or Wise Men — as young ones, my children though they were clever when they called them the “Wise Guys” — traveled long, far, and no doubt uncomfortably to worship a baby King. We know the story. We’ve heard and can recite it. But have we considered the surprise of it: that Gentile kings (or those working for kings) would humble themselves to come worship a Jewish baby?
Their choice to come in itself includes an element of humility. Great men from powerful places choosing to worship an infant from an insignificant place. And indeed, the Gospel itself comes with many upside-down surprises – God became man, we lose our life to gain it, the last shall be first, death brings life.
If an element of humility was needed to launch their trip, we certainly also see it at the conclusion of their trip. Note their actions when they saw the babe: they bowed down and worshiped.
This phrase is seen often in scripture. The order is important: first they bowed down and then they worshiped.
The act of bowing was most likely physical here, but it points to a heart and mind that follows suit; an attitude of humility is necessary to worship our great God. When we come into the presence of our Creator, when we see our Lord and who He is — and, in contrast, who we are and are not — we will be, we must be humbled.
And from that humility, our worship will flow.
We mirror the response of the wise men when we come to God in confession, acknowledging His sovereignty, greatness, and provision. Our worship will naturally flow from our humility. Pride evaporates when we come into the presence of Jesus.
As you and I meet Him in His Word and in prayer, may the response of the Wise Men be our response, as well: bow down and (then) worship.
There’s nothing like abiding in God’s Word to lead us to bow down and worship. We invite you to write the Word with us this month as we focus on the nativity of Jesus. You can find the free Characters of Christmas bookmark, as well as the corresponding S.O.A.P. Bible study pages) on our Downloads page.
Our teaching video on The Wise Men is below, and you can view all of the videos in the series when you visit our YouTube channel (and while you are there, it would bless our ministry if you would SUBSCRIBE using your Gmail address, at no cost to you).
“When the angels had left them and gone into heaven,
the shepherds said to one another,
‘LET’S GO
to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened,
which the Lord has told us about.”
Luke 2:15
When a celestial choir lights up the night sky with a glorious message from heaven, you don’t roll back over, reposition your pillow (in this case, more likely a rock) and go back to sleep! The visit from Gabriel and the “heavenly host” (maybe your Bible translation says, “multitude”) jolted the shepherds awake and prompted them to take action. They heard the message but wanted to see for themselves.
Have you heard about Jesus? Have you seen Him for yourself?
The shepherds took off for Bethlehem and their journey was rewarded: they beheld the
newborn King. Jesus. Immanuel. God with us. I don’t think they ever got over it.
What about you? Are you “over it?” Has the message become so familiar that has become stale or irrelevant in your life? Has the good news become old news for you?
After seeing Jesus – the good news in living proof human flesh – verse 17 tells us they spread the word about Jesus. That’s the thing about good news. It just must be shared. It can’t not be shared. Those who heard it were “amazed” (verse 18).
And the shepherds were also changed – transformed into worshipers who glorified Jesus:
“The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God
for all the things that they had heard and seen,
which were just as they had been told.”
Luke 2:20
Carrying the good news and walking in worship are responses to seeing Jesus.
Have you seen Him? Do you know Him? Are you a news-bearing worshiper?
I hope you will commit to writing the WORD with us during December. You can access the Characters of Christmas bookmark on our Downloads page. You can also view the teaching video on The Shepherds below:
During our five week Christmas study, the third week’s focus was the shepherds, those bottom-of-the-social-ladder men who received a cosmic message of peace and joy from heaven — a message that changed their lives. As we examine their response to the good news of Christ’s birth, we pray it challenges each of us to evaluate our own responses to Jesus.
If you enjoy our videos, it would bless our ministry if you would SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube channel. All that’s required is a Gmail address. There is no cost to you, and we will never share your email address with anyone, for any reason.
In this week’s Martha Monday video, Laura makes cookies with her granddaughters!
The whole Macfarlan clan loves this recipe for Double Chocolate Double Delights, a cookie that Laura adapted from a Quaker Oatmeal ad years ago … and we think you will, too! We hope you enjoy watching the Mac Girls in the kitchen.
Download your own copy of the printable recipe here.
When Joseph woke up, he did what
the angel of the Lord had commanded him
and took Mary home as his wife.
Matthew 1:24
Joseph may well be the most overlooked character in the entire Christmas story. Matthew 1 focuses on him, but have you noticed that Joseph doesn’t say one word? And yet, as is often the case, actions speak louder than words. Perhaps the originator of this wise saying had Joseph in mind when it was penned!
Joseph is righteous, yet compassionate. Willing to forgo his rights (and no doubt swallow his wounded pride), he was leaning towards a quiet divorce … and then he had his own angelic messenger who brought a divine command in a dream.
While Joseph may have wrestled with the decision before the dream, after he hears from the angel of the Lord, he is resolute. His obedience is immediate. He wastes no time, but steps immediately into the responsibility of being the earthly father of Jesus.
His example and his response truly challenge me to lean into obedience. How about you? Could God have a Christmas-sized, gospel assignment for us in the weeks ahead? What does immediate obedience look like in your life and mine?
I hope you will commit to writing the WORD with us this month. (You can access our free Characters of Christmas bookmark here: https://bit.ly/3snHFR8). And if you are willing, I’m confident that, like me, you will develop a new appreciation for Joseph and certainly an understanding of why he was chosen to be the earthly father of Jesus.
We invite you to view our teaching video on Joseph at the Cross My Heart YouTube channel:
If you have not yet subscribed to our mailing list, we hope you’ll take a moment to do so today. You’ll be one of the first to know each time we publish a new blog post … and because we value and respect your support of our ministry, we will never share your email address with anyone, for any reason.
“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered.
“May it be to me as you have said.”
Luke 1:38a
More often than not, we read through the exchange between Mary and Gabriel all in one sitting. The advantage of writing the WORD with us this month (you can download our Characters of Christmas bookmark here: https://bit.ly/3snHFR8) is that we can process the sequence of events a little more slowly … which may prompt a new appreciation for each of these familiar characters.
God’s message, delivered to Mary through Gabriel, came with a God-sized blessing: she was chosen to be the mother of God’s son. Gabriel called her “favored” and Elizabeth called her “blessed.”
But this big blessing also came with significant consequences:
This first-century teenage girl raised none of these concerns. She assumed the posture of servant – which meant she acknowledged God as her Lord. Her response simultaneously humbles and inspires me. I hope it does you, too.
There is much we 21st -century women can learn from this first-century teenager. We invite you to read and write along with us in December, and come back to share your take-aways from Mary in the comments.
And if you haven’t yet seen it, we invite you to watch the video teaching on Mary from our five-week study on The Characters of Christmas:
December may be the very best month to give our Do It! List a try. Laura has distilled years of experience in caring for a home and family, to create a simple, single-page chore list that can help you manage your home so that you are free to show Christ’s love to family, friends, and neighbors during the holiday season (and beyond).
Visit our Download page today for your free copy of our monthly list. We offer a pre-filled version, with tasks that are applicable for most households, or a fully customizable blank version that you can personalize to fit your family’s unique situation.
We hope you also accept Laura’s challenge to bless your delivery drivers as they enter the busiest, most stressful time of the year. After watching to hear her idea, you can download your free porch sign here: https://bit.ly/3QGCYPm
As 2024 approaches, we are again making available our set of 12 Write the WORD bookmarks for the new year. If you’d like to receive twelve pre-printed, full color bookmarks for the coming year, please reach out to us via email to learn more about getting a set for yourself or a friend.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and
self-control…
Galatians 5:22-23a
Oh, the irony. We come to our last week of writing the Word—for two months we have worked our way through verses on the nine traits comprising the Fruit of the Spirit!—and we just happen to reach self-control on Thanksgiving weekend. Along with spurring on our lovelies to exhibit grateful spirits, many of us have just over-indulged in a weekend of spending and eating. How appropriate is today’s topic!
It’s Not Just About the Binging
When we hear the phrase self-control, most (if not all) of us may feel a twinge, pinch, prod, or kick of shame. But placing self-control in its proper context may bring some less shallow or fleshly thoughts and push us to deeper, more spiritual thinking on the topic.
A negative connotation may be our first response to self-control, but when we see it in the context of a fruit produced by the Spirit, it is a good and positive thing.
Whatever we can’t not do controls us. It owns us. In extreme cases that might be gambling, heroin, alcohol, or pornography. But the list might also include chocolate … shopping … chestnut praline lattes from the Starbucks drive-thru … Zumba class … or the 24-hour Christmas movie channel.
Even a good thing can become an obsession that controls us.
Our identity in Christ means we can live free—free from the compulsive urges to do what we really don’t want to do, and free to enjoy good things in moderation. Before Christ, we were slaves to sin (Romans 6:6), but “it is for freedom that Christ has set us free” (Galatians 5:1a). The presence of the Holy Spirit means we are free to live out love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and gentleness for His glory!
Self-Control is Listed Last
As I study Scripture, I’ve learned to pay attention to the order when a list is given. If it’s a list of brothers, they may be in chronological order, oldest to youngest. If it’s a list of people, the most prominent or important may come first. There’s a reason for the order of things.
Looking at the nine traits, perhaps self-control comes last because it is the culmination of all the others. Because of the presence of the Holy Spirit, we can constrain our old self and give full reign to the Spirit living in us. With His Spirit leading out and our flesh being curbed, it is possible to:
It Means We’ve Grown Up
As parents and grandparents, we may find ourselves telling a three-year-old when it’s time for bed, a nine-year-old to resist that third cookie because dinner will be served shortly, or a 15-year-old that it’s time to put down the phone and engage with the rest of the family. As I used to tell my now grown-children when they were young: Maturity means you can say no to yourself. (And I’m sure there were times I shared that wisdom, got them all in bed, then treated myself to two dips of Rocky Road!)
Spiritually speaking, we are mature in Christ when we can say no to ourselves and yes to the leading of the Spirit. Rather than seeing those things we are leaving behind as negatives or sacrifices, we begin to see them as things that hold us back from being all we can be and are meant to be in Christ.
When it comes to self-control, losing our way means we have forgotten who we are. Our identity is in Christ. We are filled with the Holy Spirit. We can choose to squelch our flesh—to “stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:2b).
To live self-controlled is to live in step with the Spirit. Paul says it this way:
Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
Galatians 5:25
If you are walking (or dancing) with a partner and find yourself out of step, the best thing to do is stop, then begin again. It’s the Microsoft solution when our computer goes nuts: just reboot. The same works for our spiritual lives. If you are out of step, stop. Make time to abide in Him. Pray. Repent. Read the Word. Start again. Remember who you are. Get back in step.
It’s not just about remembering what not to do. It’s about remembering who you are.
The best way to keep CHRIST in CHRISTmas is to stay in the WORD! In honor of the birth of our Lord, our Write the WORD study will be focusing on five characters in the nativity during the month of December. In this week’s devotional video, Laura introduces our new Characters of Christmas study, as we dig deeper into the stories of Mary, Joseph, the Shepherds, the Wise Men, and Jesus. We invite you to watch now:
As 2024 approaches, we are again making available our set of 12 Write the WORD bookmarks for the entire new year. If you’d like to receive twelve pre-printed, full color bookmarks for the coming year, please reach out to us via email to learn more about getting a set for yourself or a friend.
