Light

Light
Reflections by the Sea © Betsy Glass
November 29, 2012

Who among you fears the Lord and obeys the word of his servant? Let the one who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the Lord and rely on their God. –Isaiah 50:10 NIV Undeniably this is my favorite season of the year. The shopping catalogs are filling my mailbox for peanuts, classic fruitcake and beautiful baskets of fruit among other things. Grocery stores already have Frasier fir trees lined up by the door and the scent of Christmas is in the air. I will set aside a day to bake cookies with my granddaughter using the candied fruits you only see this time of year. The striking and tropical poinsettia is the universal flowering plant for the holidays and I will soon buy one to enjoy and a few extra to give to friends. And the final touches for Christmas will come when we hang white lights on the Christmas tree, set up the nativity and place simple candles throughout as we decorate our home. Light. The dictionary says that light is something that makes things visible. While it certainly makes tree ornaments and other decorations brilliant and festive with its shimmer of sparkles, there is a light that is even greater. God’s Light. We can hear about something but as long as we are in the dark so to speak, we cannot see. But when things are illuminated and finally, we can see, we understand. Spiritually of course I am talking about living a life of light that versus darkness. People may hear about the Christian life but unless they have ever seen it or watched a family that lives by God’s laws, they can’t see it. Many times, we are the light that illuminates the light of God for others. They see something in us that clicks and they want what we have. Maybe it is the way we react, or how we treat someone. Or how we use our gifts and resources for God’s good. Maybe it is the peace within us that comes with trusting God so completely in all our circumstances that people are drawn to us. We are always being observed. Our actions matter and they count. That is why God lights our hearts so that we can light the hearts of others. What is visible is tangible. And what is tangible can be shared and multiplied. Let our walk be our witness and may the light within shine as bright as the Bethlehem star!

Gratitude

-Gratitude-
Reflections by the Sea © Betsy Glass
November 21, 2012

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. –Colossians 3:16 NIV The definition of gratitude is a feeling of thankfulness and appreciation. With Thanksgiving Day barely behind us, there is a desire in many of us for the joy and gratitude of this time to linger on past just a few days or so. While Thanksgiving Day is often spent with family and friends or just quietly alone in observance, it gives us a reason to stop and ponder the blessings of the past year. God’s blessings don’t always arrive on our doorstop with great fanfare though. Sometimes it is the simplest of things that we can see God’s hand in. I believe that if we look carefully, we can see God in the big and little things in our day. It is so easy to take responsibility and credit ourselves for all the good that happens. Yes, our efforts do not go unnoticed, but all good things come from God. So you might ask, when things get tough, is that God, too? The answer is that He allows things at times to build us up. Make us stronger. Build spiritual muscle. But it doesn’t matter what is happening at the moment. The real key to having a heart of gratitude is to be grateful no matter how good or bad things are. Genuine gratitude doesn’t succumb to disappointment or that feeling of lack. Maybe things aren’t going well at all, but there is always at least one thing that we can be grateful for like having a Heavenly Father that loves us so much. Gratitude also promotes joy. Some of the richest, joy-filled people I know don’t appear to have any luxuries in life, yet they are grateful for each day and the opportunity to serve God in peace. To develop a heart of gratitude, we might think of something to be grateful for during this time of Thanksgiving and offer our thanks to God for all He has done and continues to do.

November 

(Photograph by Elizabeth Brown)

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. –Colossians 3:16 NIV

This is the best time of year to be at the beach! I like when I can have it all to myself. The quiet walks, the dampness of the salt air enveloping me, the warmth of the sun despite the wind makes up a typical November day. There is nothing better to me than hot coffee and a big breakfast before stepping outside. It seems that only the real “tried and true” beach lovers remain in the final weeks of autumn before the winter chill chases us all indoors.

Thanksgiving dinners, buffets and desserts are just days away. November is the perfect month to count our blessings. Oh yes, some people have more than others. But that is not the point to want what we don’t have or to envy those that do have. If financial problems or relationship issues plague us or even health concerns pop up, it can be hard to focus on what is right, instead of what is wrong. But the challenge is to be grateful for the place that we are in and to find the blessing in it. With feeling blessed comes the gift of peace. There is nothing greater than to live in God’s Peace. We are taught to trust Him and give Him our concerns. To live in expectant hope for the future, to know we are forgiven of the past and to live in the present, with His Word close to our heart. While the calendar says that Thanksgiving is just one day, the spirit of it can live much longer in our hearts, our spirits and our actions. Not only am I grateful to receive God’s blessings, I will ask today that God use me to be a blessing to someone He puts in my path. God Bless and Happy Thanksgiving.

Hope

Hope

Reflections by the Sea
Betsy Ore Glass

 

 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. –Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

 

There is the little child that resides in each of us. In our pockets we tuck away our special hopes and dreams. Some we may share with others and some we may keep to ourselves. One definition for hope is to look forward with confidence or expectation and desire. To live a life that is full of hope improves our outlook. Having a childlike faith that carries hope in our hearts at any age is life-giving. God knows the desires of our heart as he probes our heart each day.   

We are taught to hope for the best in all situations. Easier said than done? Yes! Fear gets into the mix to steal our joy and our hope at times. Or even disappointment can eat away at our hope. But with God all things are possible. That can be easily forgotten when we run up against obstacles. Our hope sometimes fades away when we are told all the reasons something won’t happen or it won’t work as we had envisioned. Or we have waited a long time and nothing seems to be happening to make our wishes materialize. But never lose hope. Hope gives us something to live for, to look forward to. Hope gives sweetness to life. Sweet hope is stronger than the bitterness that creeps in. We can dream big and hope for much.  The Believer aims to have a heart of hope rooted in faith at all times. Whatever hopes are the desires of your heart, be expectant. Rise above disappointments and discouragement. Today could be the day that your hopes bear fruit. Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord. –Psalm 31:24 NIV  

Storms

Storms Reflections by the Sea ©   Betsy Ore Glass November 01, 2012

--the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were. Romans 4:17b NIV   Last weekend, the entire East Coast stood still in anticipation of a super storm that will be remembered as life changing for some. Yet, even in devastation and loss, there were many blessings. That begins the conversation today. Do we focus on what is right or what is wrong? If we are sick, do we talk about it and let everyone know our ailments or do we pray for healing and to be released from it. Our attitude about our circumstances gives us two roads to walk…..to be a victim or to stand on the side of victory. We can’t prevent problems from coming but we can decide how we react to them. Even though this most recent storm is considered epic, there will be more that come. Storms are a part of living. But are we talking weather or our lives? In our lives, we are often caught off guard by unsuspecting trials and problems. I suspect that almost everyone has had to weather some difficult times and may even be experiencing some now. Discouragement often goes hand in hand with the sudden onset of problems that come to us. But discouragement is not a solution. In fact, wallowing in it just prolongs the situation sometimes. Trying to find an “end to the means” is our own attempt at taking things into our own hands. It is only when we trust God and speak positively about the situation we are in, will we be able to expect help and find hope. If there are storms that are hovering over any of us today, let us take refuge in God and “call into being” the opposite of what is happening in our lives….if we are sick, thank God for making us well. If we are hurting, thank God for releasing us from the pain. If we are experiencing financial woes, thank God for bringing us prosperity. If we are weak, thank God for bringing us strength. Let our faith push the storm clouds out to sea and let us praise God for his mercy and provision.