Looking in the Window: Christmas and a Square Peg

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

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Remembering Why We Celebrate Christmas

“You can’t put a square peg in a round hole.”

The old cliché seems odd for a Christmas blog, but just as we can’t put a square peg in a round hole, God can’t allow evil in His presence. About God, Psalm 5:4 says, “You’re not a God who takes pleasure in evil; with you the wicked cannot dwell.” The Bible tells us in Psalm 100: 5, “For the Lord is good…” Every good thing on this earth comes from God, and He is the origin of all love.

According to the Bible, after He formed the world, He created humans to fellowship with Him, but He gave us free will rather than force us to choose Him. It’s easy to see why when we remember we may compel others to do things they don’t want to, but it doesn’t change what’s in their hearts. God wanted us to love Him with all our hearts and souls. Unfortunately, the first humans made a different choice and let evil into the perfect paradise God had given us. Thus, we were all born into a place where sin taints us. Now only Jesus, a sinless, perfect person completely void of evil can enter God’s presence, so where does that leave us? God sent Jesus into the world to suffer and die to pay for our sins and rise victorious over death. Without Him, it leaves us in a dark place filled with evil and torment.

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Jesus gave us the ultimate Christmas gift, everlasting life free from the pain, trials and tribulations of this world. In His words from John 14:6, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” He rounds off our corners, but to stand before God who’s one hundred percent pure good, we have to acknowledge our sins are forgiven only through Jesus.

At Christmas amid all of the busyness and glitter, an image of a tiny baby lying in a manger in Bethlehem shines the brightest, bringing us a future filled with good and light. That’s why we celebrate His birth, remember His sacrifice and rejoice in His victory.

“Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:11)

*This blog kicks off a series of posts written about Jesus, each one by a talented writer who is also a Christian. I’ll announce them on my Facebook page, and LinkedIn/ but check by often.

Looking Out the Window: Memories on the Heart

Several weeks ago my husband, Rick, and I ate at a restaurant we frequent fairly regularly. The cute, young waitress who usually waits on us took our orders for burgers and fries. I’ll call her Mandy. As usual Mandy’s smile and bubbly personality brightened our day. We giggled and confessed to her that we shouldn’t eat the fries, but we were going to do it just this once. She joked. “Okay, you’re being bad today.” Not long after we got our food a couple came in and sat in the booth behind us. Mandy walked up to the table with her big grin. “Hi, how are you?” she asked. The man, who had salt and pepper colored hair and a pudgy face, spoke in a harsh tone, “I want the steak.” “Sure, which one would you like?” Mandy asked. “I don’t want you to put it in the microwave. That will make it tough. Do you understand?” Mandy’s lips turned down. “Yes sir, which one do you want to order?” “I want it medium rare. I don’t want blood oozing out of it. I want it cooked right.” “Yes sir, which steak di

Looking out the Window: Bible Study Leader Kristi Neace Says God Won't Fail Us and Introduces Us to Her New Book, Pathlight to Praise. Free Bible Study Coming Soon.

A Warm Welcome to Kristi Neace Kristi shares a devotional. She will start a new Bible study on Facebook in July. Watch for the announcement, giving the exact date and time on her Facebook Page Scriptural videos also available. See below.* In a Pit? Psalm 40:1-3‚ “I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD.” Can you think of a time when God helped you out of a low place? Perhaps something had caused you to spiral downward, or maybe like the Old Testament character, Jonah, you had run away from God so as not to have to do what He was asking of you. Through this passage, we see that David was experiencing this first-hand. He was in a place of despair, yet God was gracious, and after some time, placed David in a new area of serv

Looking Out the Window: Brandy Heineman Talks about Writing and Her New Book, Whispers in the Braches

A Warm Welcome to Brandy Heineman Photo credit: Copyright Emilie Hendryx of E. A. Creative Photography, 2014. Hi Brandy, lots of writers enjoyed reading as a child. How about you? If so, what did you read? Oh, yes. I always loved to read. I adored mysteries— The Dollhouse Murders and Behind the Attic Wall come to mind—and of course I had my Baby-Sitters Club and Sweet Valley High phase, my Roald Dahl phase, my Judy Bloom phase . . . I was quite a bookish child, I’d say! About Whispers in the Branches In 1942, Ruby lost something. In 2012, Abby found it. Abby’s love life, career, and faith are in shambles when she first hears Great Aunt Ruby’s claims that the family home is haunted. Abby moves in, determined to shake out a ghost, but the secrets she discovers there aren’t the ones she hopes to find. Whispers in the Branches is my first novel. It was released earlier this year by Elk Lake Publishing. Buy Whispers in the Branches on Amazon Where

Peering Through Life's Window

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