No crib for a bed, no crown for a king, the cold hand of fate seemed destined for him. The poorest of cradles, the lowliest of stables, the Chosen one Humbled Himself in that stink. But greater, and wiser more knowing, they came- They Knew this Child, they called out His Name. The heavens opened; Showers of adoration and grace overflowing. The angels still sing; hearts worship still brin- ADORE HIM, BOW BEFORE HIM, Our Savior, Our King!

Nightbirde , "YOU CAN''T WAIT UNTIL LIFE ISN'T HARD ANYMORE UNTIL YOU DECIDE TO BE HAPPY."

Jane Kristen Marczewski (31) also known as Nightbirde, of Nashport OH, passed on Feb. 19, 2022. For such a time as this, she lived, she sang, and she died. Her bio says, .."went home to be with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ." I get it. It's my destiny as well, But it is a death. As Jesus so aptly stated, "Unless a grain of wheat fall to the earth and die, it ramains alone. But if it die it bears much fruit." This song was resurrected in her memory on her passing, at the verge of a war, at the crisis and confusion caused by 2 years of pandemic, rising costs, well- you who are here know the litany of problems. And into that, into the darkness, this Nightbirde sings. And then says, "you can't wait until life isn't hard anymore before you decide to be happy." For such a time as this, her song is heralded into the night. I gotta say, I needed this message. I waste far too much time on sadness over past regrets, and other stuff. In the midst of it all, it's okay- I can let go and live the today God has for me, and be grateful for the good. I need this reminder. I thank God for this message. It's the embodiment of the answer to the question in in Romans 8: What can separate us from the love of God? 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”[a] 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[b] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 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." Our God trumps death! And what do you know, I just realized today is Ash Wednesday... For those who don't know that one, it's the beginning of the Easter season. A preparation of the life and heart for the celebrating of the death and then the resurrection of Jesus! One famous sermon, by African American preacher, S.M. Lockridge most simply states it this way, "It's Friday, but Sunday's coming." We all have our deaths to die, but holding on to Him who conquered death, and you will rise- as He did on that first Easter. When did Jesus announce Himself as the Resurrection and Life? At the graveside of his friend, to his friend'sgrieving sister.! "Martha,” Jesus said, “I am the Resurrection, and I am Life Eternal. Anyone who clings to me in faith, even though he dies, will live forever. John 11:25

A Belated Share of Christ- mas Light

 In my Advent ( pre-Christmas readings) I came on the following verse, which set off a whole string of wonderful thoughts and the feeling that God had just spoken to me, illuminating, if you will, some wonderful truths.  It felt very personal and private, but then I realized that the gift He was giving, the gift of understanding and growing in love, is truly a gift for us all.   So, with a little concern over presuming to use God's voice in the first person, I share the following. Take what "speaks" to you and leave the rest, if you please.

Love is Not the Syrup

 Love is not the syrup that you put on top of the pancake, it is the dough, the yeast that gives sustenance, form and nutrients to the meal. It is the Bread of Life, broken for us. 

Love is the vitamins in the bone broth. It is the fertilizer, stinky, hot and rich, that causes the tree to grow. A healthy tree, by the rivers, with healthy green leaves, which produces the most delicious, succulent fruit.  Rooted and grounded in love, it becomes a strong solid, tree of righteousness.  So, love is the root, love is the grounding, the firm grounding.  The winds can come and the storms can lash and whip and even knock off branches or leaves, but the tree, rooted and grounded in love will withstand it.  That tree will become the refuge for the birds, the wild animals.

So too, are we becoming, as in Psalm 1, trees of righteousness.  That tree produces righteous fruit.  Love, joy ,peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, self-control. This fruit takes time, watering feeding, and growth. But it will come, if fed the right fertilizer, watered, and tended. It will come, as we guard against the thieves of it. The rodents that would wound and tear and, if not dealt with, will leave it for dead. That fruit will come. 

What's the point of this seemingly overreaching metaphorical mess?  It is this : In all we do, in how we live, in how we act, in where we help, or drive, work or play; it is all worthless, unless it's done in love.  Whether we live or move or have our being, if it is not done in Love, it's at best a bump in the road, maybe fun to some, but it will throw you out of alignment. At worst, a train wreck,  

Without His love, we can lead  a people off  of the path, into seeming freedom, only to find themselves dredged in the muck and torn up by the briars. 

 Love  God's love, is the stuff that makes character. It is like the roots, deeper than a feeling, it is the stuff out of which lasting commitment, willingness to lay down ones own agenda for another's good, is made. 

And ultimately, love will rule the day. Love will come through a season of death, of sacrifice and find that the feelings of delight, desire, and, the other fruit, will again come. Because love, true love,  is stronger than  all other. feeling 

This this that part that gets mistaken for the syrup. This, true love, bears fruit. Not syrup. (unless it's a maple tree, then the sap,  but let's not get sappy)

God is love.  Love never fails.

This is therefore, one of my regular prayers:

14 For this reasonI pray before the Father, 15 from whom [a]every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner [b]self, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the [c]saints what is the width and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled to all the fullness of God

Eph 3:14-19Psalm 1; 1 Cor. 13;