He Came for Failures

Lynn Mosher's writing consistently motivates reflection. She encourages people to make changes so their lives glorify God - and isn't that what Upgrade is all about?

"I grieve when I fail the Lord," she says, "when my obedience lacks its first response."

Oh, how I get that. We all fail God. But I'm so glad Lynn doesn't leave us to linger in our sorrow over sin and failure.

She continues ...

But then I remember it was for failures that Christ graced a rough-hewn manger. It was for failures that He breathed His last earthly breath as He hung in disgrace for the failings of the world.

It was to a failure, one who penned the precious psalms that touch our hearts in time of need and, yet, as a man after God’s own heart, sinned and ripped apart his fellowship with the Lord, then repented and repaired it.

It was to a failure, one who had denied Christ three times, that the command of “feed My sheep” was given.

It was to a failure that Jesus gave His first greeting in the Garden of Gethsemane on that initial Easter morn.

It was to a failure who had been the foremost despiser of believers, yet became one of the greatest servants of the Gospel, the Lord blessing his ministry and his writings for all time.

I think, no, I know my greatest failure is to not give the Christ-child a place to live in my heart, in my circumstances, in all my life.

He came…

As Mary lovingly swaddled the future Sacrifice of the world, she placed Him in a trough, and there, the miracle of the manger took place: the empty manger, the vessel cradling the tiny body of mankind’s salvation, became full - full of love, full of expectation, full of holiness, and full of humanity.

With only the joyous display of heavenly praises from angels, He came, confined by the boundaries of time and limitations of a physical body.

…for failures, He came.

For me, He came. For you, He came.

But where does He go to be born and live today? In the hearts of believers.

“How silently, how silently the wondrous Gift is given!

So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of His heaven.

No ear may hear His coming, but in this world of sin,

Where meek souls will receive Him still, the dear Christ enters in.” *

Have you offered the manger of your heart to cradle the birth of the Babe of salvation? Or are you as the innkeeper, turning away the Saviour of the world, telling Him that you have no room for Him, that your “inn” is full? Do you then miss the miracle of the manger?

God still seeks His mangers … hearts willing to hold Him.

For you ...

He came!

Does your heart have room for Jesus?

Lynn Mosher lives with her hubby (since 1966) in their Kentucky nest, emptied of three chicklets and embraced three giggly grand-chicklets and an inherited dog. Lynn’s passion is to encourage others and glorify the Lord with her writing. Stop by for a refill at her website, Heading Home, lynnmosher.com.

* Christmas song quoted: Third verse of “O Little Town of Bethlehem”

Shepherds, Wise Men and Angels

Cathy Horning reminds us of a sad reality: in the midst of our holiday celebrations, some - either by choice or because of circumstances - are not celebrating. One way to Upgrade our Christmas celebration is to think of ways to incorporate others who need some comfort and joy.

"Since my childhood, a favorite Christmas tradition has been to arrange the Nativity Scene," Cathy says. "Each year, I set up the old wooden stable, placing baby Jesus in a manger filled with hay. Next, I added Mary and Joseph, the shepherds and the magi. And, last of all, I carefully placed the angel to watch over them all."

We all have favorite holiday traditions, and Cathy captured one of our own family's favorites. But she also remembers some not-so-pleasant times.

Cathy continues ...

My least favorite part of Christmas was being lonely. Because our extended family lived thousands of miles away, our Christmas usually consisted only of my parents, my little brother and me. Most holidays, we opened our presents on Christmas Eve. You see, my father worked for the airlines, and airplanes did not stop flying to honor Jesus' birth.

Each Christmas morning, I waited impatiently until my mother finally gave me permission to run to the neighbor’s house. There, in a family full of children (ten to be exact), I ate yummy food, shared presents, and joined in their festivities. The noisy and fun-filled home made me long to have a large family of my own one day.

Many years later, I married into a huge extended family. Plus, God blessed me with a small tribe of my own. After my husband and I, with our four children, moved away from our loved ones, Christmas day became a lonely time once again.

Until the year, our family decided to host a Christmas Day Open House.

We invited those who were alone, or far from family, or estranged from loved ones to join us to celebrate Jesus birth. Thus began one of our families favorite Christmas traditions.

Of course, we were not the first to invite others to this holy celebration (Luke 2:6-18; Matthew 2:1-2).

Two thousand years ago, Mary gave birth to baby Jesus, in a lowly stable far from home. She and Joseph must have felt so lonely that first Christmas day. But, they were not alone!

God had already set in motion a party to celebrate the birth of His newborn Son.

An angel had invited shepherds to come and see the Holy Babe - while a star illuminated the sky to lead wise men, already seeking Jesus, to welcome and worship the Infant King. 

I believe, from the very first Christmas, God never intended Jesus birth to be celebrated alone. From poor shepherds to rich magi, God invited all to celebrate together the birth of His Son.

This Christmas, as you set out your Nativity Scene, is there someone feeling lonely who your family could invite to join you in the celebration of Jesus birth?

Here are a few people our family invited. 

• A family far from their extended family
• A single man or woman
• Single parent families
• Military families

Can you think of others? 

"Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it" (Hebrews 13:1-2).

When you think of the word "lonely," who in your circle of aquaintance instantly comes to mind? How can you reach out to "remember" that person this month?

Cathy Horning has been a women’s ministry leader, Bible Study teacher, speaker and writer for more than 20 years. She loves the Word of God. Nothing brings her greater joy than sharing with others how very precious, practical, and powerful the promises and truths in God's Word. Married for thirty years, Cathy has four grown children, eight grandchildren, and many spiritual sons and daughters. She loves long walks by the bay, a good book or movie, Starbucks ice tea, and especially family get-togethers. Read more by Cathy at her website.

Photo of lonely woman: Image courtesy of graur razvan ionut at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Sparkle for the Holidays

A couple of years ago, Jill Swanson helped me find my signature color and style, and as a busy woman, I love her book, Out the Door in 15 Minutes! I invited Jill to help us "upgrade" our holiday wardrobe style ... without breaking our budget.

"What a fun time of the year - Christmas programs, parties and presents!" Jill says. "So how are you wrapping yourself up this year?"

Wrapping YOURSELF up ... Hmmm... I never thought of it like that. Fun!

Jill continues ...

Stressed about getting dressed? Have no fear ... help is here! It’s as easy as “1 + 1” ... a practical and fun technique that will help you use what you buy throughout the year.

Here’s how it works:

Begin with one basic garment –  a simple dress, crisp white blouse, a solid color sweater or a black pair of slacks - then add one piece of “glitz.”

The glitz is something that can be blended throughout the year into the rest of your closet.

Here is a list of ideas to help jumpstart your holiday wardrobe:

• Luxurious Lame’ - a gold, silver, bronze or copper scarf with earrings to match can accent a neutral sweater (ivory, beige, gray, black) and a sleek pair of slacks.
• Ruffled white blouse – the more abundant the ruffles, the better! This holiday staple will become a “romantic go-to” for the rest of the year. Anchor it with a fitted bottom piece and a pair of “diamond” earrings.
• Dark or black suit jacket – Separate it from its mate and introduce it to a new shimmering tank or cami and some dressy jeans and heels.
• Metallic leathers – They remain all the rage this year. Add a purse and a pair of shoes or even a jacket to your usual business casual look and you’ll have holiday dazzle in a flash.
• Color - Try a blaze of bright blue, gold or red in a sweater, scarf or hat. The jewel tones can be segued into the rest of your closet for 2014. If the idea of tying a scarf intimidates you – I’ve given examples of 3 simple ways on Youtube. 
• Velvet - This forgiving fabric will play down areas you are self-conscious about and add an air of elegance to everyday pieces. Try it in a blazer, skirt or a jean-cut pair of pants. Use rhinestone baubles to complete the look.
• Multiple jewels - Co-mingle a pearl necklace and one or two silver or gold chains and layer them abundantly on a solid dressy blouse. Or take a long pearl necklace, double it and fasten it together with an antique broach and wear it asymmetrical and voila - inexpensive and exquisite!

While these are fun ideas, making outer beauty is easier to come by, inner beauty is far more important during this stress-filled season. We need to take time to dress ourselves inwardly before starting our day by giving God time in the morning. Even Jesus did this (Mark 1:35).

Colossians 3:12 gives clear instructions for putting on an attractive attitude:  Therefore ... clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. And in verse 14, it tells us the essential piece that completes the look and makes the outfit work: And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Go ahead, add some sparkle to your holiday look this season - from the inside and out!

Is there something in your closet you can adapt for holiday events? Are you wearing the "essential piece" Jill mentioned?

Jill Swanson is a Christian Image Consultant who works with individuals and speaks for groups/organizations on how to make the most of their God given beauty – in side and out. Her books Simply Beautiful and the newly released, Out the Door in 15 Minutes! are available at her website and on Amazon.

UPGRADE Your Celebrations!

To celebrate is to observe a day or event with ceremonies of respect, festivity or rejoicing. It's a time to extol or praise, to display or make known.

Everyone likes to celebrate, whether it's a birthday, graduation, promotion or holiday.

And I believe there are at least four ways to UPGRADE Your Celebrations:

Upgrade Mentally - If it's a holiday, look up the meaning of the event [see note about disputed celebrations: Romans 14:5-6]. Prepare some facts to share with others, to help them understand the point of the event. If it's a birthday or graduation or some other achievement, give it some thought. Study some "history" to add meaning - perhaps something about the person's character that got him or her to this point. Who is the person really, behind the scenes. Think! 

Upgrade Emotionally/Socially - Give yourself permission to celebrate! Celebrations are not occasions for sourpusses. Smile. Laugh. Connect. Get involved with people and celebrate together. Be friendly and make a new friend. Let love spill over into joy. Let your inner child remember the joys of youth ... let loose a little. Rejoice! (Proverbs 17:22a; Philemon 1:7)

Upgrade Physically - Do something fun. Think and get creative with food, decorations and gifts. Make a cake, cookies or a special healthy dish. Go to an organized celebration. Wave a flag. Hug!(Especially, hug a veteran on Memorial Day!) Give a thoughtful gift. Go to a parade, or make a mini-parade with your friends. Don't just sit around and watch others celebrate. Get involved in a community of people who understand how important it is to celebrate. Act! (1 Corinthians 10:31; Colossians 3:17)

Upgrade Spiritually - Thank God for the reason for the celebration. Read and share scriptures that refer to some aspect of the celebration. Make spiritual applications when possible. Pray together. Sing a hymn or praise song that "works" with the occasion. Point people to the Source of true joy - acknowledge God (James 1:17; 1 Thessalonians 5:18).

The key to celebrations? Go all out. Be all there!

I hope all your celebrations are happy and blessed. Remember - Think. Rejoice. Act. Acknowledge God.

What do you do to UPGRADE Your Celebrations?

Dawn Wilson is the founder of Heart Choices Ministries and creator of UpgradeWithDawn.com. Dawn's ministry encourages, edifies and energizes women with the truth of scripture so they can better enjoy life, bless others and honor God.