I remember many days when, as a mom with small children, I would want to run screaming down the street. You know those days when the bickering never stops, the spilled drinks could cause a flash flood, and "Mom" is seemingly the word to bellow when one is touched by one's sibling! Those days that stretched my patience beyond the limits, when bedtime could not come fast enough still stick in my mind. I remember at day's end, when "Walton style" we would say our goodnights, and I would add, "Sorry Mom was so grouchy today", and from their rooms, I would hear in unison, "That's okay, Mom. You're a good mom"! I want to be able to forgive that easily!

Even now, many years since I have heard those sweet voices coming from the bedrooms in my house, I remember the love that was cheerfully given to that weary mom, and the forgiveness that overflowed, even though I felt undeserving of it.

Now, my grown daughters often say wonderful things to me that sometimes take me aback. I recall all the mistakes I made as a parent. I remember how many times I felt like a failure as a mom, and I wonder why they don't remember my mistakes and failures. But yet, my forgetful children love me. Isn't that grace?

Jesus said that we should all become like little children, and I know why! They are so very forgetful, just as He is. As we ask Him to forgive our sins, the Bible says He also forgets them. They are thrown into the sea of forgetfulness!

Hebrews 8:12 – For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more. (NIV)

Micah 7:19 – You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea. (NIV)

It's funny how those we try to instruct often instruct us.

Prayer: Thank You, Lord, for the forgetfulness of children. Thank You that You are forgetful of our forgiven sins, even though we don't deserve it. Help us to be just as forgiving and forgetful of the sins that are committed against us. Amen.

I have just heard once again those words that I have heard nearly every day for forty-two years: "What's for supper?" Sound familiar? When we were first married, Larry went out and bought two weeks' worth of frozen meals right off the bat. Thinking that was a bit strange, I cooked them and did pretty well, until I left the paper on the pizza, which made it very hard for my unsuspecting new husband to chew. It's strange that in all the time we knew each other before we were married, he had never asked me how I cooked. Had he asked, I could have told him that I didn't! After that first few weeks, I slowly learned to cook things other than frozen meals. Larry likes to tell a story (greatly exaggerated, I might add) about some biscuits I made from scratch that were so hard we threw them out to the birds. The story goes, according to Larry, they couldn't fly after eating the rock-hard biscuits. In fact, as he elaborates on the story, if they tried to fly, they would immediately drop from the sky. As the months went by, I was starting to be a decent cook, but there were those days when Larry asked, "What's for supper?" it was because he couldn't tell by looking at it.

Slowly but surely, my cooking improved, and "What's for supper?" took on a whole new attitude. It would, most of the time, come with a "Mmm — something smells good!" — words I loved to hear. Eventually, supper came every evening like clockwork, and for the most part was edible, but they still always asked, "What's for supper?"

As I go to my Bible to study God's Word, many times, I go hungry — heart hungry! I often ask my Lord, "What's for supper? What do you have for me to feed my hungry soul?" At those times, I need to sit with Him and sup with Him as Scripture tells us. In reading in the Psalms today, I came across a passage that I loved.

Psalm 132:13-15 – Yes — I, God, chose Zion, the place I wanted for my shrine; This will always be my home; this is what I want, and I'm here for good. I'll shower blessings on the pilgrims who come here, and give supper to those who arrive hungry. (MSG)

Doesn't that thrill your heart? It does mine! Think of it! God says, "I'll shower blessings on you if you come to Me, and if you come hungry, I will (get this) give you supper!" Oh, fellow pilgrims, do you feel loved? I do, too!

Prayer: Dear Lord, help us to come to Your Word with hungry hearts, just waiting to be fed. Amen.

As I looked through some of my favourite recipes online, I came across a recipe that I loved. The name of it is "Cranberry Hootycreeks", a gift-in-a-jar cookie recipe. I love the name — just try saying "Hootycreek" a few times — it makes me happy just letting it roll off my tongue! The recipe is wonderful also. It's a cookie packed with dried cranberries, macadamia nuts, and to top it off, white chocolate chips! It seems since I have been trying to eat healthy foods, my eyes are always wandering off to some delicious recipe or other forbidden foods. How could I be happy with lettuce, carrots, and lean turkey when my heart pleads for Hootycreeks?

I am not the first person to desire what I do not have, and the Bible is a great place to find a good many of them. If we think of David, he had everything he needed or wanted, but he looked on what he didn't have: another man's wife! Maybe one of the most well-known was Eve. In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve had everything they needed; God had placed them in a paradise with beauty all around them. They could even talk with God in the evening, but they wanted more. Eve looked upon what she couldn't have, and the devil lied to her, saying, "You need just one more thing!" She took and ate the forbidden fruit, and we know how that turned out!

How about those Israelites? They never fail to crack me up! If we read through Exodus, we find that God parted the Red Sea, and let them walk through on dry land. He provided water from a rock. They wore the same shoes for forty years, and no one had to make a trip to Payless Shoes to get new ones. So, you would think that after all He had provided so miraculously, they would trust God to provide food for them, but they grumbled and did not trust Him. How patient God had to be toward these bellyachers! So, God provided each family an omer of manna (about two quarts) every day. This was really a "gift in a jar", but they wanted meat like they'd had in Egypt. They even longed to be back in Egypt where they'd suffered great oppression, saying, "At least, we had all we wanted to eat!" So, God provided quail in the evening. What unfailing love He has for us!

Like me, they had all they needed, but they craved Hootycreek cookies! How much God must love us to listen to our grumblings and see our lack of trust, yet He sees fit to provide us with what we need and even throws in a Hootycreek cookie once in a while!

Prayer: Lord, help us to be content with what You have given us! Amen.

One day, he went out with Larry, and he insisted that they go out to the shallows of the giant lake while their fellow fishermen fished deep. As he directed my husband where to set anchor, they looked down to find a huge school of walleye just beneath the boat. As Larry excitedly readied his fishing gear, my dad said the most incredible thing, "Let's go get the others so they can catch some, too." My sweet husband reluctantly did as my dad had suggested. The group caught many fish that day, except for my husband, who caught none, which we laughed about for years!

I thought of this story, as I was introduced to an account in 2 Kings 7 in a devotion I read awhile back. The Syrian army had besieged Samaria into famine. Four starving men with leprosy, a terrible affliction at that time, went to the Syrian camp in desperation for food, but the men of the camp had been frightened away by the threat of an attack on them.

2 Kings 7:8-9 – And when these lepers came to the outskirts of the camp, they went into one tent and ate and drank, and carried from it silver and gold and clothing, and went and hid them; then they came back and entered another tent, and carried some from there also, and went and hid it. Then they said to one another, "We are not doing right. This day is a day of good news, and we remain silent. If we wait until morning light, some punishment will come upon us. Now therefore, come, let us go and tell the king's household." (NKJV)

How many times have I feasted on God's Word, His blessings, and His truth, but didn't go and tell others? I enjoy the warmth of the sanctuary as I listen to the messages from God, the singing of praise, and the wonderful fellowship, but I am fearful to go and tell of God's plan to receive all who ask into His kingdom. In this time of famine of the Word in our world, we have the gospel, the good news of Christ!

Prayer: O Lord, help me not to feast alone but to go and tell others what I have found in You. Amen.

As I read these verses, I am reminded of how many times I say, "Hurry, God, save me. Come quickly!" Most of us can understand having a great need for the Lord to hurry and help. My prayers are never more fervent as when I am found in the middle of a crisis.

My daughter, Nealy, and my granddaughter, Cati, arrived at church early on Christmas morning because they were scheduled to sing. Upon arriving, they were taken aback to see that there were no cars in the parking lot. Wondering what was going on, they made a few phone calls, only to find out that there was no early service. Our pastor's wife, Cindy, who was also early, saw them in the parking lot and let them in to the church. Thinking that they would have more time to practice, they began discussing the song and who would sing what part. As they sat in the cold sanctuary, an old man walked toward them. He, too, had shown up for the early service. The man appeared to be distraught and confused, so Cindy and my daughter asked if they could pray for him. As he trudged almost robot-like to kneel at the altar, my daughter saw the deep hurt and pain in his eyes and asked him what he needed. She explained that she knew pain in her own life and could feel that he also had a great need. At that, the man began to weep and tell of his deep sorrow. His wife had passed away only weeks before, his own health was failing, and to top it all off, his children were at his house that day going through his wife's things and fighting as to who would get what. This man was poor and needy of spirit and in need of our caring Lord and deliverer. Because God is always on time, the man left with a hope that only God could give.

Nealy and Cati sang their song without as much practice as they would have liked, but with a new song in their hearts! They had called on God, Who works all things together for good, to come quickly and help this one who was poor and needy, and he was delivered into hope!

Many times, I have asked God to come quickly on behalf of my sweet Nealy, all the while asking why she should have to endure so much pain. We will never know the answer to all the whys, but I do know my daughter looked into the eyes of this dear man and saw his pain because of the pain she has been facing for so long.

Prayer: Come quickly, Lord. I love You because You are my help and my deliverer! Amen.

As I read Scripture about the birth of Jesus, I see pieces of another puzzle coming together. The Bible is a giant puzzle that fits perfectly together, if we have the patience to gather its pieces. As I started through Matthew, I highlighted each reference from the Old Testament.

Matthew 1:22-23 – All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" — which means, "God with us." (NIV)

Matthew 2:5-6 – "In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written: 'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.'" (NIV)

Just as I pick up the right piece of my puzzle and put it into the perfect place, prophecy from the Old Testament fits perfectly into the Christmas story. Amazing, isn't it! I get so excited as these perfectly shaped pieces of the perfect plan fit together. We tend to forget that the beautiful story we think about at Christmastime or read on Christmas Eve was not an isolated event, but it was that vital piece of the puzzle that brought redemption to us all.

Is the puzzle finished yet? No, it will be finished at the return of Christ, and then, we will fully appreciate the beautiful plan that God set into motion. The puzzle will be complete, and we will see fully things that we see only in part for now. Praise His holy name!

In the same way that God has a great plan for the world, He also has a plan for you and me! There will be times when the pieces of our lives seem not to fit together, when parts of the puzzle don't make sense, but rest assured; there is a plan!

Jeremiah 29:11 – "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (NIV)

That means that even though our puzzle is not coming together right now, it will eventually, because God is the master puzzle lover, and He rejoices as each part of the plan He has for you comes together. God has all the pieces. Trust Him to show you His plan day by day.

Whew! I feel another thousand-piece puzzle in my near future. How about you?

Prayer: Thank You, Lord, for fitting together all the pieces of Your wonderful plan for our lives. Amen.

Isaiah 40:25-26 – "To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?" says the Holy One. Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing. (NIV)

I love this Scripture for many reasons, but I especially love the part that says, "not one of them is missing". I think God was driving His point with a little humour. Don't you love it?

I couldn't help but contrast myself — who couldn't find one lost light less than an inch long — with Him Who created the starry hosts and called each one by name without even one missing. How often do I forget how powerful our Creator really is, and how often do I try, in my frailty, to do things on my own without trusting Him Who has "great power and mighty strength".

My pre-lit tree is now adorned with old-fashioned strings of lights. The branches are not perfect, but it is still twinkling beautifully, reminding me of the starry host that our wonderful Lord brings out one by one with not one of them missing.

As you enjoy all the lights everywhere you look this Christmas, think about the stars that God knows and calls by name. Remember that you are so much more important than even the stars in the sky. He did not die for the stars, but He gave His life for us!

Prayer: Lord, help us to trust more and more, not only in Your great power and mighty strength, but also in Your great love for us. Amen.