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The Christmas CritterA fun, Christ-centered alternative to the popular Elf on the Shelf concept. A Gospel focused, fruitful approach to the countdown to Christmas.
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The Christmas Critter: ClydeJoin Clyde as he has adventures and mishaps in his search for the true meaning of Christmas!
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The Christmas Critter - Pack 2Create your own character with a unique name in this pack, and follow his journey of building godly character as his excitement for Christmas grows.
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The Christmas Critter - Super Hero PackYour Christmas Critter wants to be a superhero for Christmas, but he just isn't sure which super power he wants. Some super powers are just too much for him to handle!
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Scripture ReferencesAll Scripture references are taken from the King James version of the Bible.
The Moses Shadow (Joshua 1:2)
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My lesson for the children’s class at church was ready. It was easy to put the lesson together, and I was excited to teach my precious little children’s class sweethearts. I had visuals and some fun activities to go with the Bible lesson. It was going to be perfect. My translator and I would teach these children the truths of the Bible together, and we would make a difference.
Then my husband let me know, “Isahaak is in his village today.” Suddenly my Bible lesson fairy tale came crashing down. My translator was not going to be there. I was counting on having him. My language skills were poor and insufficient. I had become quite dependent on my translator and even somewhat relaxed in my language studies because I knew my translator would help me. Now I was being told I had to teach the class alone.
Honestly, panic wanted to sweep over me. I can’t teach these kids! I, however, had no choice. I was the only one who could teach them. The children would all show up ready and waiting to hear a lesson from the Bible. Someone had to teach them, or the precious opportunity would pass by wasted. I prayed, took a deep breath, and taught the class.
Joshua 1:2 “Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise…”
Moses, the leader and Joshua’s mentor, was gone. Joshua could no longer sit in the shadow of Moses. Joshua was now the leader appointed by God to take the children of Israel into the Promised Land.
I do not know what Joshua felt, but I can tell you how I would have felt in his shoes. When I was in the comfort zone of the shadow of my translator, I was confident and ready to tackle the children’s class. The moment my translator was gone, I wanted to panic. I have a feeling Joshua felt overwhelmed, too. God kept telling him multiple times to be strong and courageous. Apparently, Joshua needed a courage pep talk.
Sometimes we do not realize we are hiding in the shadows of something or someone else. We only realize it when suddenly that comfort zone is yanked away. God desires us to be dependent on Him and not dependent on our comfort zones. Sometimes He forces us to come out of the shadows. He calls to us, “Arise…” He tells us to have courage because He is with us. He is all we need.
1 Thessalonians 5:24 “Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.”
What is your comfort zone? What do you hide behind? What keeps you from trusting the Lord alone in difficult situations? You may not even realize the shadows in which you hide until they are removed. If you suddenly find a shadow removed, do not panic. Be strong and of a good courage. God is enough.
Lies of the Dead (Joshua 1:1-2)
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I have been to some interesting funerals. I have been to funerals that were mere celebrations and memories of a treasured life. They were not celebrations because people were happy to see the person gone, but because as the attendees reflected on the life of the person, they realized just how blessed they were to have been touched by the deceased. They also had great confidence that the deceased was now in the presence of the Lord because the life and the testimony the deceased reflected true fruit of salvation.
Then there have been those other funerals. It seems that when a person dies, suddenly he or she becomes a great saintly hero no matter how terrible of a life they lived. I have been to funerals of people who were selfish, cruel, and wicked throughout life. People at those funerals behaved strangely. Instead of admitting the obvious, these people reach way back in the recesses of their memories to find some sweet or kind thought about the deceased. Sometimes they even lied. The kind sentiments said at these funerals is often the product of compassion for family members of the deceased.
Joshua 1:1 “Now after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD it came to pass, that the LORD spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' minister, saying,”
Joshua was writing, and he remembered Moses after Moses died. He called Moses “the servant of the LORD.” What a wonderful thing for someone to say about another person! Was Joshua lying, though? Was he just being kind or compassionate?
Joshua 1:2 “ Moses my servant is dead…”
God, who never lies, said the same thing about Moses. He called him “my servant.” It is one thing to have people say something kind about you. It is even greater to have the Lord say something good about you.
There is one thing about what Joshua and God said about Moses that will be true about all of us one day.
Joshua: “… after the death of Moses…”
God: “Moses… is dead.”
One day, that will be said of us all. We will die. That is something we cannot avoid. The part that can be changed is what is said about us after death.
“Mom, my faithful friend, is dead”
“My wife, and dearest companion, is dead.”
“My co-worker, my greatest encourager, is dead.”
“My fellow church member, my dependable leader, teacher and example, is dead.”
When I die I want people to be able to be honest about me. I hope they can say good things about me when I am gone. I hope thoughts of me will bring them joy. I hope words like, faithful, honest, loving, and Godly flow off their lips from a clear conscience. Through Christ and His power, I can be those things.
More than the kind words of people, I hope that when my life is finished, my God will be able to say something good about me. The thought of these words motivate me greatly.
“Well done thou good and faithful servant…”
Can I Help You? (I Peter 3:7)
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I am just blown away by God's creation of woman. I do not comprehend women who feel slighted or offended by the Biblical creation of woman and her purpose. Think about it...
- She was the last thing God made.
- She was specifically designed for a purpose... because man was lonely and it wasn't good!
- She was created to be a helper. That's not offensive. The Holy Spirit, our "paraklete," is our Helper. Paraklete literally means one called along side to help. It's a high honor!
- She was created with a specific skill set that makes her vital.
- She was given a task that mirrors the very heart of Christ, that of a servant... one who selflessly sacrifices for the good of others.
I absolutely love being a woman! What gets in the way, though, is selfishness.
The past several months, I started something new to help me try to help my husband better. Some mornings I literally walk up to him and ask, "What can I do for you today to help you?" That small act of servanthood has revolutionized my role as a helper and in turn it has also helped strengthen my relationship with my husband. (Wish I had started this years ago!) He is always encouraged by me asking. Every time I ask, a tenderness washes over him in a wave. He knows I care.
This morning as I sat down to do my devotions, I went in with the mindset of, "Lord, help me serve my husband better." Then I read I Peter 3:7.
1 Peter 3:7 "Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered."
Well, how am I supposed to serve my husband better when the verse is clearly talking about him serving me?!
Actually, if I know what tasks my husband is to do, it helps me help him! If I know he has to preach, having his clothes ironed for him helps. If I know he has to leave the house early, I know I need to make breakfast early. If I know he has a lot of physical labor scheduled for the day, I know I need to prepare food that will help him get the work done. So what are his tasks?
- Dwell with me according to knowledge.
How can I help with this task? Make myself easy to know! Communicate with him, and don't make him have to be a mind reader. - Give honour to me as the weaker vessel.
It helps him help me when I admit I need his help. If I have a determined, independent spirit who will not allow others to minister to my needs, it will hinder my husband in his role. Our culture has glorified the masculine, tough girl persona, but God has magnified the meek and quiet spirit. He says it's of great price. - Give honour to me as being heirs together of the grace of life.
The Bible makes it clear that the husband and wife are one in this life of grace. We are to be unified as a team. One person isn't better than the other person, or more valuable. We have different roles, but the same goals... glorifying God and growing in Christ. How can I help my husband in this area? Stop being competitive with him and stop being jealous of his role or how God blesses him. We are here to lift each other up, not use each other's heads as stepping stones to something better. Again, our culture has glorified the competitive spirit. God glorifies the servant spirit, the one that puts others first.
Plant Killer (Psalm 1:2-3)
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I must openly confess that I am an expert plant killer. I do not mean to be. It is actually a natural talent I have. I have purchased plants thinking I would add beauty to my home, only to find them dead within a month. I have had people purchase them for me for gifts, and I mercilessly execute them as well. When we lived in the States, I finally resigned myself to artificial plants. One day as I was passing one of my fake green lilies in my house, my oldest child saw one of the leaves fall off the plastic plant and onto the floor.
"Mom, you are even killing the fake ones!" I am thankful he recognized my superior skills of plant killing. Nothing is impervious to my vicious talent. Yes, the government should have hired me to cure the kudzu problem.
If I were a plant of some sort, I would want to be one that was thriving, not a dead one and certainly not a fake one.
Psalm 1:2-3 "But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper."
This tree is thriving, green, and lush. It did not become that way by accident. The tree is not a wild tree. It was planted! Our Christian lives are no different. Pursuing growth and striving to walk in the Spirit daily are intentional actions, not accidental ones. This planting also makes us stable. The location gives us a firm foundation because everything is conducive for us to have deep roots. God wants us to grow. He wants to plant us in specific places so that we will thrive and flourish with deep, strong, stable roots. What is the specific place He wants to plant us? According to this passage, He wants us planted in His Word and meditating on it day and night. That is how we become this tree. When we are planted in God's Word, our spiritual needs are supplied. We are planted by the rivers of water. Everything we need for our Christian growth is right there for us.
When we are well-established, we will become fruitful. A tree that produces is a valuable tree that blesses those around it. This tree only produces in his season, though. That tells me that patience is needed. This patient, but thriving, tree doesn't wither. It has endurance. Ultimately, this tree is successful in every one of his tasks. Everything the tree does prospers because he is planted in the right place, drinking from the right source.
Stable
Supplied
Fruitful
Patient
Enduring
Successful
All this because he delights in God's Word, and consistently stays in the Word.
Deuteronomy 6:6-9 "And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates."
Joshua 1:8 "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success."
Get in the Word. Delight in the Word. Intentionally focus on God's Word throughout the day. Then you will be a tree even I cannot kill.
Stuck on Auto Play (Psalm 1:1-2)
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Psalm 1:1 "Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful."
Blessed: divinely favored, happy
There is no doubt we all have a desire to be divinely favored by the Lord. We all want to be happy. How do we get there? How do we live a blessed and happy life in the midst of battles?
For me, the last three days have been a battle. It is not a physical battle, but a battle in my mind. For three days, I have had a song stuck in my mind. It is a song I heard many times when I was a teenager. They played it on the radio frequently. It's amazing that, twenty-five years later, this song I haven't been listening to is suddenly ringing in my head, over and over. It isn't a godly song at all, but it is stuck there, programmed in as if my brain were a computer, from my days as a teenager. What happened?
When I was younger, I allowed ungodly counsel to enter my mind through my ears. Counsel can come in many different forms, but it enters through the eyes and ears. The things or people we listen to, watch, or read penetrate into the heart and mind. Those things, much like a computer, program our thinking. Our thinking then dictates our actions. That's why it matters so much that we guard our eyes and ears, because through protecting those avenues we are guarding our hearts.
Proverbs 4:23 "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life."
When we listen to ungodly counsel, we begin a path of decline. We will begin to walk in that counsel. Before long we will feel comfortable with hanging around people and things that clearly do not please the Lord. Then we will relax right in the midst of wickedness. Lot's life was a great example of this decline. Lot simply started walking in the direction of sinfulness (Sodom), hanging at first around the outskirts. (Genesis 13) Then he moved right in with the wickedness when he went into Sodom to live. Toward the end, we see him sitting in the gates of the city in a position of leadership. Genesis 19)
How do we keep our path from going down this spiral? Guard what counsel goes into your ears and eyes. Begin inspecting each influence in your life, and ask, "Is this a godly counselor? Is this movie a help to my Christian growth, or a hindrance? Is this song going to help me walk in the Spirit today? Is this friend helping me grow more like Christ? Is this book programming my thinking in a godly fashion?"
What about like my situation? The music (my ungodly counselor) was from years before when I was not protective of my heart. How do we deal with that? We have to reprogram our computers, our minds.
Romans 12:2 "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."
That renewing comes through faithfully putting good counsel in the mind. That good counsel comes from God's Word.
Psalm 1:2 "But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night."
If we want victory in our minds, and if we desire to keep our feet from that downward spiral in our spiritual walk, we need to have a:
- Delight in God's Word- delight: treasure, satisfaction
- Deluge of God's Word- deluge: overwhelm with a flood
That deluge can be from a combination of reading God's Word, listening to preaching, spending time with godly influences, listening to godly music, etc.
What counselors are influencing you? Are you guarding your heart and thereby guarding your steps? Who are your counselors throughout your day and week?
Joshua 1:8 "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success."
Then you will be blessed, Divinely favoured and happy. Time for me to go listen to some godly music and meditate on Psalm 1:1-2.