It's a New Day! It's a New Year!

Wondering where 2013 went was where I began with my annual Christmas Poem. How is it that the 365 days we are given in one year fly by so fast? Wasn't it only yesterday that we were looking ahead to 2013 with high hopes and visions of what we could accomplish? Yet, we come to it's end and feel a let down because we realize we let many opportunities slip and as a result, have not yet seen those hopes and visions come to fruition. Perhaps all is not as it seems... perhaps some of our problem is our perception. We seem to have extremely narrow vision; mostly, it's an inward, "me" focus. As the old saying goes, "We can't see the forest for the trees."

Gaining a broader, wider view forces us to step back, to step up to a higher level. When all is said and done, the only perspective that truly matters is God's. We will be judged according to His set of books; not ours, and not anyone else's. At this transition between what's past and what's to come, I have tried to utilize my own "present" realities as a stepping stone; to stand on them and rethink them as manifestations of how God has brought me to this point in life.

I suppose age has something to do with it, because length of days reveals the aging process not only works on you, it's also working on your children and grandchildren. Both of my daughters are now in their forties. My oldest grandson has just graduated from Marine Basic Training. My youngest grandchild will soon be eight years old. I see signs of wear and tear in my own body as recently as yesterday, when an update of my medical records notified me that I have no less than eleven health issues, most of which are not serious, (thankfully,) but three of them bear close attention and affect multiple areas of my life, including my mobility.

From strong and able to do just about anything I set my mind to just a few years ago, to a cane, a walker, and a wheelchair betimes is a rude awakening to the unrelenting process of aging. Thankfully, the Lord has been right here throughout. He awakens me in the morning with songs and verses of Scripture that bring comfort and joy. He gives me thoughts that turn into letters and articles; words of encouragement for others. He gives me His grace and the strength to be faithful in my responsibilities. My children and grandchildren are learning and growing in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ - I see this and feel an overwhelming sense of peace and great joy, knowing He is able to complete the work He began - not only in me, but in them also. This realization has me looking forward with great hope to 2014.

Happy New Year!
Maranatha!

Christmas ~ 2013

I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a more fleeting year,

Already it’s fading in our rear-view mirror;

Where the days went I cannot say,

They’ve flown by on wings of rapid decay.

It started out fresh, and clean, and new,

With promise, potential, and time in view;

Our hearts soared with hope as the year began,

Sure it would bring forth our very best plan.

But then ‘twixt the start and what we see now,

Came the gravel, the rough stuff, and the ornery plow.

It’s hard work, the details of birthing a dream,

Too often we falter and simply lose steam.

The “skin” that we live in is quick to relax,

To give up the fight, call off the attacks;

We yield when we ought to be standing our ground,

Doing it “our way” brings dreams crashing ‘round.

Then, December comes, year’s end is in sight,

And we, ever hoping, turn toward the Light;

Of that first Christmas morn, two millennia ago,

When Hope was born and its’ dawn brought the glow...

Of redemption... renewal... reviving His plan,

Life everlasting – His promise to man;

“I know the thoughts that I think toward you,

Peace... good will... and Salvation too.”

Our strength is too small, we need Him to survive,

For only in Him are we truly alive;

Yielded, submissive; that’s when we’re our best,

Trusting His Word, we can pass every test.

Willing obedience always touches His heart,

Freely giving ourselves, we make a fresh start;

Old things pass away, all things become new,

With Him in control, we can now follow through!

Marjorie J. Kinnee

December 2013

A Week in the Life...

"And it came to pass, when the time was come that He should be received up, He stedfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem." (Luke 9:51)

I woke up this morning thinking about the last days of Jesus' earthly ministry. I know He's touched with the feelings of our infirmities. His Word says so. But this morning I saw that He also understands the pressures of deadlines, due dates, and crowded schedules. And it flooded my soul with a fresh appreciation for His power and ability to help in my times of chaos and tight schedules.

There is no doubt that He knew what lay before Him. While He was God in flesh dwelling among us, He was also aware that the clock was ticking. Reviewing the sheer amount of material He poured into His disciples during those last days, (not to mention the activities He undertook,) reveals His sense of urgency. That last week was not about rest, rest would come with the joy - later.

Calvary did not take Jesus by surprise. What's more, He did not want it to take the disciples by surprise either. He'd chosen them carefully and knew the end from the beginning. Thus, He went to great lengths to prepare His disciples for what was to come. (See Matthew 16:21; 20:17-19; Luke 18:31-34.) That they began to understand, albeit belatedly, is demonstrated by how much space each of the gospel writers devote to the events surrounding Calvary. Little clues and pieces of the puzzle they missed the first time around, became much clearer in hindsight.

John places the resurrection of Lazarus within that last week, saying how the whole city was buzzing with excitement over Lazarus being raised from the dead. They wanted to see Lazarus, talk to Lazarus, touch Lazarus. Simon the leper hosted a supper where Jesus, His disciples, and Lazarus were the honored guests. During this supper, Mary (Lazarus' sister,) took a pound of spikenard ointment and anointed Jesus' feet, wiping them with her hair. Jesus identified her devotion as being related to His death and burial, once again saying plainly that His death was iminent.

Here's a partial list of events of that final week and the 50 days following... What a schedule! Within fifty-six days, (one week before Calvary plus the seven weeks following,) old things passed away and all things became new!

• The resurrection of Lazarus
• The supper at Simon's house in which Mary anoints Jesus' feet
• The council of the chief priests and Pharisees
• Preparations for the triumphal entry
• The triumphal entry into Jerusalem
• The 2nd cleansing of the temple
• The fig tree's curse
• Face-off with the chief priests and elders
• Woes pronounced
• The Greeks come to Philip saying, "Sir, we would see Jesus."
• The Voice from heaven
• Discourse on the Mount of Olives
• Judas Iscariot agrees to betray Jesus for 30 pieces of silver
• Preparing for Passover
• The last supper; footwashing, Peter protests; then communion, Judas leaves...
• Jesus' final discourse and prayer for His disciples
• Gethsemane
• The betrayal, the abandonment
• The trial; priests, Pilate, Herod, then Pilate again
• Peter's denial
• The flogging
• Barabbas released
• The procession to Calvary
• Calvary - the crucifixion; mockers, repentant thief, sun darkened, earthquake, veil rent, "It is finished!" (Jesus' side pierced, legs not broken)
• The Burial in Joseph of Arimethea's new tomb
• Disiples hiding in fear
• One week ends - New week begins
• Resurrection! - Jesus shows Himself alive to the women, the 2 on the road to Emmaeus, the disciples Thomas, and a crowd of 500 plus, over a period of 40 days (with many infallible proofs).
• The Ascension (Acts 1)
• Ten days later - Pentecost outpoured as the Church is born! (Acts 2)

The feasts of Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, and Pentecost - all shifted from "types and shadows" to full fruition in a single two-month calendar period! While my finite mind cannot grasp the whole, this morning I caught a glimpse that thrilled my heart anew. With it came the joy of realizing three more feasts remain; (Trumpets, Atonement, and Tabernacles,) each bearing the promise of wondrous things to come. His calendar is always full, yet with all that's going on, He never gets in a tizzy. May I learn that lesson, and,  may my calendar, schedules and "to do" lists be in sync with His!

Mother's Day Blessings

Happy Mother's Day!

What's Ahead?

2010 - Here we come! No going back; no redoing any part of 2009. It's history, back there, the book is closed. Its joys, its pain, its heartaches, its victories, its defeats and failures - they're all tucked inside of the volume labeled 2009. There is only one way to deal with what's back there. "If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (I John 1:9) Get it under the blood!

If you've failed - repent. If you've been hurt - forgive. If you've won a great victory - celebrate - but keep pressing on. Consign all the messes and mix-ups to "back there." Not only is 2010 a new year, it's a gift of unused minutes, hours, days, weeks, and months. What's more, it's a golden opportunity to start fresh and get it right this time.

In each new year we find a reminder of the precious promise... "Come now, let us reason together saith the Lord, Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be a white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." (Isaiah 1:18) One of the most precious gifts God gives to men is a new heart to replace the old stony one, a transformed mind, a new creation, "a new man walking in my shoes." This is the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It's Salvation's hope!

What's ahead? I don't know. I cannot tell anyone what 2010 will bring.

We see uncertainty all around us. Turmoil and questions abound. Humanity's best minds offer flawed and incomplete quick-fixes. Sin and sinful men run rampant. Insane busy-ness crowds our lives with competing demands, vying voices, persuading spirits and a constant push for more... but this one thing is sure. The Word of God contains promises that have the power to hold us in this chaotic world and these tumultuous days.

"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee." (Isaiah 26:3)

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you an expected end." (Jeremiah 29:11)

"Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." (John 14:27)

"These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)

"And having made peace through the blood of His cross, by Him to reconcile all things unto Himself; by Him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven." (Colossians 1:20)

"Lord, keep my soul from day to day,

Under the blood, under the blood;

Keep doubt and fear and sin away,

Under the precious blood.

I'm under the blood, the precious blood,

Under the cleansing, healing flood;

Keep me Savior from day to day,

Under the precious blood!"

The Joy of Christmas is Jesus!

(An Inspirational DaySpring Movie)

I thought this would be a blessing to you at this season.

Click on the link below to view . . .

Inspirational DaySpring Movies

Christmas - 2008

The recipe for the year just spent,
Was bound together with kindly consent.
Holding measures of joy, and a measure of fear,
Spiced with laughter and a measure of tears.

There were pieces of chocolate – dark and bitter,
Mixed in with moments of sugary glitter.
Blended together, the bitter and sweet,
Make memory’s contribution complete.

Momentous moments in seconds of time,
Shared smiles and tears on an upward climb;
Each man’s outcome so clearly his own,
Yet each man’s progress is commonly known.

The future is out there
Its course has been staked.
But to us at this point,
It’s a cake not yet baked.

For the ingredient list of a human life,
Goes on and on through sorrow and strife;
Years of loss and years of gain,
Follow years of joy and years of pain.

We sum each year by a critical moment,
It’s crystallized, characterized, set up to foment;
"1998! – how well I remember,
That’s when my grandson was born in November!"

We toss in ingredients with scarcely a thought,
An unkind word, an opinion unsought;
And thus we assemble our life’s recipe,
Rarely taking account what the outcome will be.

Too soon, we give up and flee the fight,
When victory’s crown is almost in sight.
Too easy, we’re swayed by popular opinion,
And find ourselves caught in the enemy’s dominion.

But just ahead the oven’s fire
Will test the ingredients we acquire.
The proof’s in the final product, you see,
What we put in will last for eternity.

Christmas – 2008
Marjorie J. Kinnee

Christmas ~ 2007

Something about Thanksgiving Day
Starts the holiday season in a proper way,
Caring and sharing time with a friend;
As family and loved ones gather again.

Our hearts reminisce, we sigh and we smile,
Then wander down memory lane for a while.
We’re setting the tone and picking up the pace,
We’re dreaming of joy shining from each face.

Yet the plans we make soon take over our life,
We frown when they turn into trouble and strife.
Our intentions are good, we start off fine;
How quickly we find we’re off track down the line,

And consumed with our lists, the tinsel and glitter,
Our distracted hearts grow weary and bitter.
But the season was born, not to celebrate self,
Or withdraw from the world and sit on a shelf.

It was born in a heart that was so full of love,
It thought nothing of bankrupting heaven above,
Of reaching and giving the best of the best;
It gave without measure, it did not grow stressed.

When rejected, mistreated and scornfully used,
This love looked beyond and was never confused.
For love like this is the noblest kind;
Bringing healing for heart, soul, body and mind.

It’s the example and pattern – the way we should be,
The model that everyone wishes to see.
It’s love that is selfless, honest and true,
It’s love that spares nothing, makes everything new.

This love’s not the kind that makes hearts pitter-pat,
Oh no! This love’s much deeper than that.
It reaches down to the lowest hell,
It draws and it woos, it continues to swell…

Changing, transforming, creating anew,
Bringing beauty out of a life that’s askew.
Keeping no record of wrongs that were done,
Rejoicing in all of the good that’s begun.

It plans no ill, no evil, no sorrow.
It concerns itself with a better tomorrow.
Such love’s worth the cost, it’s far beyond price.
To gain it, sell all – don’t even think twice.

This year is waning, the days fly so fast –
Too soon it will be a part of the past.
And what have we done with the time we were given?
Have we lightened a load? or just eked out a livin’?

Can a friend or a child look at you and say…?
“Thank you so much, you made my day!”
Can a stranger walk tall, feel thankful and proud,
As your kindness stands out from the madding crowd?

Little deeds done in the course of each day,
Become rays of light when clouds are gray.
They’re like flowers that bloom in the light of the sun,
Spreading joy and cheer to everyone;

Or pebbles that lie at the bottom of a brook,
Calling out to the traveler, “Come, take a look!”
Like the smiling face of a trusting child;
It beckons and blesses, it’s tender and mild.

It’s the sum, the total when the day is through –
That says, “what kind of man or woman are you?”
A giver? A taker? A person who cares?
Do you think of the load someone else has to bear?

Can neighbors look at you, see a kindly mien?
Do you face life’s struggles with a peace serene?
For the heart at peace with God and man –
Is a heart that every gulf can span

“Peace on earth – good will to men”
Iis not just a mantra or a wistful yen
It’s a plan and a purpose – all encompassing, good,
One that needs to be fully understood.

It begins with a heart that’s full of Thanksgiving;
That seeks for a higher standard of living.
It’s fulfilled when we join with the heavenly choir
In making God’s will our heart’s chief desire.

- MJKinnee

Happy Thanksgiving!

Back in my grade school music class, I remember singing songs from the early days of this country. We rarely hear them nowadays. In fact, I'd venture to say many have never heard them. But I think they're worth remembering and have much to say to this generation. Perhaps you'd like to add them to your holiday reflections...

We Gather Together

We gather together to ask the Lord's blessing;
He chastens and hastens His will to make known;

The wicked oppressing - now cease from distressing,

His Name be ever praised - He forgets not His own.

Beside us to guide us, our God with us joining,

Ordaining maintaining His Kingdom divine;

So from the beginning the fight we were winning;

Thou, Lord, wast at our side, All glory be Thine!

We all do extol Thee, our Leader triumphant,

And pray that Thou still our Defender wilt be;

Let Thy congregation escape tribulation,

Thy Name be ever praised, O Lord, make us free!

Come Ye Thankful People Come

Come ye thankful people come, raise the song of harvest home.

All is safely gathered in, ere the winter storms begin;

God our Maker doth provide, for our wants to be supplied,

Come ye thankful people come, raise the song of harvest home.

All the world is God's own field, fruit as praise to God we yield,

Wheat and tares together sown, are to joy or sorrow grown;

First the blade and then the ear, then the full corn shall appear,

Lord of Harvest, grant that we, wholesome grain and pure may be.

For the Lord our God shall come, and shall take the harvest home,

From the field shall in that day, all offenses purge away;

Giving angels charge at last, in the fire the tares to cast,

But the fruitful ears to store - in the garner evermore.

Even so, Lord, quickly come, bring Thy final harvest home,

Gather Thou Thy people in, free from sorrow, free from sin;

There, forever purified, in Thy presence to abide,

Come, with all Thine angels, come, raise the glorious harvest home!

As I ponder on these words, I realize again that life does not consist in the abundance of the "things" we possess. All these perish with the using. We brought nothing with us and can take nothing with us when we leave. Often, the things we express our thanks for on Thanksgiving Day are the tangible things that soon lose their charm. No wonder Jim Elliott said, "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."

Jesus said the real treasure is hidden - in earth and in earthen vessels. He wasn't talking about squirreling jewels away in dirt and pottery. The kind of earth He had in mind is man, who was made from the dust of the earth. Jesus' treasure is not stashed in a bank vault or flaunted as a prized possession. It can't be bought or sold on the stock exchange. No, the treasure Jesus recommends is laid up where moth and rust cannot corrupt and where thieves cannot break through and steal. It's the priceless knowledge that your name has been written in the Lamb's Book of Life. It's in knowing that He is able to keep what you have committed unto Him until the day of His appearing.

Set your affections on the only worthwhile treasure - a heart full of peace and joy - one that's prepared to seek and see God. That's a cause for true Thanksgiving!

A New Year...

A New Year has begun and with it, new and updated hopes and plans, and the desire to improve, upgrade, and just do better. What makes that sentence anything other than the sentiments of millions, yea, billions of people around the world is what one does with it...

When I was a child, they used to sing a chorus that went like this...
"Nothing between my soul and my Savior,
So that His blessed face may be seen;
Nothing preventing the least of His favor,
Keep the way clear, let nothing between."

The desire to serve God with a clean heart and clean hands needs to be honed and cultivated. When our hearts and hands are clean and free from wrath and doubting, (I Timothy 2:8) we can approach God with confidence, (I John 2:28; 3:21) with a mind that is at peace, knowing that He hears our prayer and will attend to our needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus. (I John 3:22) Here are seven "F's" that will free you and bring you victory in the New Year...

1.) Faith - confidence, belief, trust. "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not [yet] seen." (Hebrews 11:1) Something there is about the ability to believe, about placing your confidence in someone or something, in trusting without reservation. Faith's power lies in the One in whom it's placed and its degree of commitment. Yes, there is an element of risk - big risk. Yes, quantum leaps into the unknown are involved. Yes, there is always the chance of loss, particularly where humans are involved. But the glorious exception is found in placing all your confidence in the One who created you, who sustains you, and who has made perfect provision for all your needs - past, present and future. Victorious faith rests in Him. His Word, and His faithfulness! "For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith." (I John 5:4)

2.) Favor - friendly or kind regard, approval. "And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man." (Luke 2:52) While we have no business currying favor, there are a number of godly principles and attitudes that bring the peace of a good conscience within and the respect of others without. No amount of money can buy this kind of favor, for it is first attained through right relationship with God. Once that is established - "When a man's ways please the Lord, He maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him." (Proverbs 16:7)

3.) Fear - respectful dread, awe, reverence. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do His commandments..." (Psalm 111:10) "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding." (Proverbs 9:10) It is a healthy thing to have the proper respect for the One in whose hand your very life rests. There is a kind of fear that is debilitating and demoralizing - that kind of fear is not of God - it makes grown men weak as kittens and demolishes the best of intentions. Jesus said, "...fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear Him which is able to destroy both body and soul in hell." (Matthew 10:28)

4.) Follow - to come or to go after. "Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord." (Hosea 6:3) If the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, then it stands to reason that following on to know the Lord can not be anything but beneficial. Jesus called His disciples saying, "Follow Me" and spoke of the taking up of a cross in order to do so. Following requires a sacrifice - a sacrifice of self and selfishness. The Apostle told us to "...follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart." (II Timothy 2:22) and, "Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see God." (Hebrews 12: 14)

5.) Fruit - enjoyment, means of enjoyment. "I am the Vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit, for without Me ye can do nothing... Herein is My Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be My disciples. ...I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit shall remain..." (John 15:5,8,16) "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law." (Galatians 5:22-23) "The fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth." (Ephesians 5:9) "The fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace." (James 3:18) (In a fruitful field, righteousness remains and produces great dividends - see Isaiah 32:16-17.)

6.) Forgiving - to give up resentment against or the desire to punish; stop being angry with, pardon. "Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." (Ephesians 4:32) "Forbearing [to keep oneself in check; control oneself under provocation,] one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye." (Colossians 3:13) "For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you." (Matthew 6:14) Forgiveness is love's illustrated sermon. It is how all men will know whether you are truly His disciple - "...Freely you have received, freely give." (Matthew 10:8)

7,) Finally - coming at the end; last; concluding. "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of a good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." (Philippians 4:8) After you've contemplated and pondered over this entire list, you won't have much time left to dwell on anything negative. "Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth." (Colossians 3:2) Our focus must be upward - on His Kingdom, His will, and His priorities. "Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith..." (Hebrews 12:2)

These seven "F's" will help ensure a year full of growth in the wisdom and knowledge of the Lord.