Category Archives: Holidays

Easter, Holidays, Reflections

A SIMPLE EASTER

1 Comment

My longtime friend and photographer, Mark Rouk, created this picture a few years ago. It is my all-time favorite Easter picture. I’m guessing he used some simple things like a mound of sand, a few twigs, a drop or two of superglue, a black cloth, and a flashlight. Regardless of what he used beyond his own amazing creativity doesn’t matter—it is the message that his simple silhouette speaks to us.

Defining Easter can be huge or minuscule, depending on your audience. If one is writing a dissertation, it could get deep and complicated really quick. But if it is telling a child what Easter is about, a simpler definition will work. Basically, Jesus loves us so much that He died on a cross for our sins. Enough said, huh? Sometimes a simple Easter is in order for our crazy-busy lives.

I am beyond the age of having kids and even grandkids young enough to hunt Easter eggs. Those were simple days—wonderful days with priceless memories. We dressed our children in the best Easter apparel we could afford—matching shirts and slacks, frocks and frills, shoes, hats and Easter baskets. After the Easter Sunday Morning Church Service, we all made our way to Gramps and Granny Kellogg’s house for lunch. Our sweet Granny Grace’s Easter egg hunts are forever lodged in our hearts. But before the hunt could take place, we gathered in the kitchen where every inch of countertop, the cooktop and the kitchen table were filled with dishes of delicious food. Everyone ate their fill with joy and laughter—while holding off the kids as long as possible to give the teenagers time to hide the eggs. Then the race was on!

I suspect your past Easter Sundays were much like mine. It seems as though they were a lifetime ago. Yet today, I hear my Lord speak priceless words to my heart: “Sarah Jane, slow down and have a simple Easter this year.” I don’t know about you, but I’m in need of a more-simple lifestyle altogether. See if you can relate.

I need to manage my intake of frightening news from around the world—and my best guess is to simply turn it off. I need to worry less about all the corruption in our nation, and simply focus on the good. I need to care less about just the right clothes, shoes and purse, and simply be content with what I have. I need to stop fretting about all the high prices (and God knows they are everywhere), and simply settle for less going, less buying, and less eating. I need to spend less time on frivolous and unnecessary things, and simply do more things that make my Lord, my family, and my friends smile.

I’m sure you’ve heard the K.I.S.S. principle—Keep it simple, S______.” The Lord just gave me the idea to insert the word “Sweetie” as the fourth word in that phrase. So, here’s my advice for a wonderful Easter this year: “Keep it simple, Sweetie!”

A HAPPY AND BLESSED EASTER TO ALL! ~ Sarah Jane

Encouragement, Faith, Holidays, Reflections, Vision

Encouraging Thoughts for Your New Year ~ 2024

2 Comments

I suspect that we all live with regrets since we are human. But the bigger issue is: What do we do with those regrets? I have had a dream for most of my life that I would one day become a writer. Trust me, I have paid my dues. I started out writing poetry about lovers, births of babies, birthdays, anniversaries and Christmases; and then moved on to prose for tributes, eulogies, etc. Yet each little start made me realize it wasn’t exactly fulfilling my lifetime dream. I simply treated it like a wishful thinking hobby. I thought I could entertain people by skillfully creating a trek down memory’s lane that would bring delight to my readers. Yet, my life as a writer remained unsatisfied.

I eventually came to the place where I believed my gift of writing—making things rhyme, challenging hearts, and making people smile—was more than a gift. It was a calling. So, I set out to do something about my dream—I wrote a book and published it. That book went live in August of 2022. Oh, don’t get me wrong here. It’s not that I have attained any great success, but guess what? I have reached some lives with my voice in print.

My book, There Is Life after Tragedy, is about a tragic event in my father’s family that took place before I was born. As a speaker, a new door opened for me to speak to various groups about the loss of love and life; about grieving and learning to live again; and telling the good news of a loving God who understands our pain and never lets us walk alone. I hear from people regularly that my book has touched their lives deeply.

Recently, I connected with two uncles in my mom’s family that I haven’t seen since I was a teenager—all because of my writing. Now, after many years, a delightful connection has been made that is currently bringing joy to all of us. And as an added bonus that I wasn’t expecting, my book was a named a finalist in the American Writing Awards Competition for 2023. We just never know what God has in store for our gifts.   

As I stared at a blank piece of paper this week thinking about what I would like to change about my life (you know, this thing we do as the new year rolls in), these thoughts flowed from my pen: If I could change anything about my life, I would take my dreams more seriously; I would follow those desires of my heart more intently; I would have more confidence in the gifts God has given me. If my mind were to summarize what my heart is saying, it would sound like this: If I could change one thing about my life, I would spend more time writing!

How about you? Do you have an unfulfilled dream of writing, painting, singing, woodworking, or whatever gift you may have that still hangs out in the backyard of your mind? Deal with those regrets about what you haven’t done by making a start to fulfill your dream. Regardless of your age, pay attention to your gift. Acknowledge it. Call it what it is. Use it. Exercise it. Grow it. Consider God in the equation and talk to Him about it. And by all means, use your faith. And if your gift is writing, then write, write, write—with all of your might!

Go ahead and make my statement work for you and your gift: “If I could change one thing about my life, I would spend more time ______________.”

Just fill in the blank and go for it! Our God is a God of surprises! Happy 2024 to all ~ Sarah Jane

Image by <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/cute-composition-with-hearts-books_1120554.htm#query=book%20background&position=15&from_view=search&track=ais&uuid=87e2386f-c5f0-4519-a089-a2cd97917441″>Freepik</a&gt;

 

Holidays

A New Perspective This Christmas

12 Comments

If your Christmas feels a bit plain and ordinary right now, I’d like to offer a suggestion: Ask God to open your eyes to see Christmas from a new perspective this year. It can happen for any seeker of God, since He always rewards seekers. (Heb.11:6)

Several months ago, I awoke very early one morning and began rehearsing what had been on my mind the night before. To my surprise, I heard the Lord gently speak these words to me: “This has never been about your love for Me; but it has always been about My love for you.” The subject I had been grappling with before falling asleep that night was how to walk in the Spirit, deny my flesh, and become an overcomer. Having struggled with this very thing for years, I was disappointed that I still hadn’t figured it out. I was confident it would require more obedience, more self-discipline, and certainly more resolve to get it right.

Although this nugget-word from the Lord would require some unpacking in the days ahead, in that moment I knew the Lord was showing me the inaccuracy of my long-held belief. I had thought my love for Him would be enough to make me an overcomer at some point. Yet, in one brief moment, His tender words had shot down my misconception.

I have always had a great love for God, yet through the years my love had waned, just as Peter’s love had waned—when being fully exposed as a Jesus follower; when faced with a decision to obey or not to obey; or when required to take a stand in the face of opposition. In my moment of honesty that morning, I suddenly realized my love would never be enough. With this new insight into my not-so-strong love for Jesus, I wondered what could possibly save me? It would be none other than the good news announced one starry night in Bethlehem: God’s love lying in the manger would save me!

The birth of Jesus was the greatest phenomenon to ever happen on planet Earth. Perhaps spending some time gazing into the Nativity scene could change our perspective. Let us look at it long. Let us look at it closely. God’s love was demonstrated in terms we can understand. The story, the setting, the unlikely cast are permeated with clues to His generous kindness toward us. The greatest story ever told is so simple a child can grasp it, yet so unthinkable that the angels shuddered at the thought of the Creator becoming a human. Creation swayed in its glory, as Mary held Hope in her lap.

The Prince of Peace had shattered all the protocols for being a “Royal.” He identified with the lowly, the poor, the rejected. He became one of us, as the incredible plan of God rocked the demonic realm. The miracle story was entrusted into the arms of a teenage girl, an insecure step-father, and stunned shepherds gawking in wonder. Love was born in Bethlehem as its oblivious residents slept. A King on their doorstep went unnoticed by the masses and worshiped by the few—yet strategically positioned to save them all. His love would encircle the globe—yearning, seeking, and reaching for the lost. He had come to save us, just as promised. The first “Gift” of Christmas wasn’t placed under a tree—but in a manger. Don’t forget to look there.

Ask the Divine to show you what He wants you to see this year. Gaze into the eyes of Mary and notice her unexplainable peace and calm. Then, gaze at the concern etched upon Joseph’s young brow as he weighs this new assignment. Don’t forget to gaze at the motley crew of shepherds who were astonished to be invited to such an event. And never fail to gaze at the wonderment of the wealthy kings who came prepared for this very moment and made it theirs—just by being seekers! As Mary does her pondering, may you sense the great love the Father has for these beloved children—hand-picked eye-witnesses to the most significant moment in history.

Our plain and ordinary view of Christmas changes remarkably as we gaze at this sacred scene. Right there in the midst of the most common pieces of life, God’s LOVE is found. For the gazers who recognize what they see, a miracle of extravagant LOVE invades their hearts. And that same extravagant LOVE can invade our hearts as well.

Love’s name is Jesus! He is our Gift from God for all eternity, and His love will be enough to save us.

My Christmas wish for you and yours is none other than: Happy Gazing to all!  ~ Sarah Jane

Holidays, The Last Days

The Most Overlooked Story of Christmas

4 Comments

The Christmas story comes to us in all shapes and sizes, yet it is always a warm reminder of why we celebrate the season. As the whole world sat in darkness, mankind was utterly unable to help ourselves. And then—Jesus came for us! His coming would change the course of human history as God’s Son became our Savior-Redeemer. So, it is perfectly fitting for us to rejoice at the Babe in a manger, Mary and Joseph, star-struck shepherds, dazzling-white angels, and wise guys from afar. But wait! Isn’t there a part of this miraculous story that is mostly overlooked?

Just eight days after the birth of Jesus, Mary and Joseph took him to the temple to fulfill Jewish Law. That is where something miraculous happened: “At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him and had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. That day the Spirit led him to the Temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required, Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God.” (Luke 2:25-28)

But there was yet another surprise waiting for the young couple: “Anna, a prophet, was also there in the Temple….she lived as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshiping God….She came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph, and she began praising God. She talked about the child to everyone who had been waiting expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem.” (Luke 2:36-38)

These seem like strange events, since we naturally think the religious leaders would have been the ones to recognize the Son of God—but not so. They missed Him completely, while the quaint elderly man and woman got it right! How could this be? Apparently, Simeon and Anna knew what had been foretold about the coming Messiah, and thereby recognized the signs accompanying His birth. Their eyes beheld what they already knew in their hearts.

And what about us? Isn’t our world filled with strange events? As the days grow darker, does it not seem as though we cannot help ourselves? If we read what the Bible foretells about the days before Jesus comes the second time, we might recognize signs that describe this very generation (Matthew 24). Are we alert to the signs in our time? Are we watching and waiting as Simeon and Anna were, or are we more like the religious leaders—mostly blind to the day that is upon us? As we celebrate this joyful Christmas season with our family and friends, may we share the good news that Jesus is coming for us—again!

“Now learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branches bud and its leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is near. In the same way, when you see all these things, you can know his return is very near, right at the door!” (Matthew 24:32-33 NLT)

Christmas Blessings to all ~ Sarah Jane Kellogg

Coronavirus, Encouragement, Faith, Holidays

Being Disciples on this Strange Good Friday

Leave a comment

 

God is the originator of all good things—so the Bible tells us in James 1:17 (NLT) ~ “Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens.”  In other words, everything in heaven and on earth that is good comes from the one true God. Even that dark Friday when His Son was tortured, beaten, slapped, cursed, insulted, jeered at, spit upon, and nailed to a wooden cross turned out for our good.

 

I’m sure that Friday didn’t feel good as Jesus’ mother, brothers, and beloved disciples looked at the cross in unbelief. I can imagine thoughts like this going through their heads: What just happened? How did we get here? This is not what we bargained for? This is not how following Jesus was supposed to turn out! Is God anywhere to be found?

 

We’re talking about real human beings here—His disciples. Oh, they were not highly-educated men of position and power, nor honored high priests in the Jewish synagogue. Truth is—each of those men was basically an unknown member of society and a nobody as far as the world was concerned.

 

And on that Good Friday when Jesus died, all their hopes and dreams for being a somebody died too. The hopes that they had found the promised Messiah just got deflated. All dreams of being in Jesus’ official cabinet when He set up His kingdom on earth vanished as well. They were actually in hiding for minutes, hours, and days not knowing where they were in the bigger scheme of things. No doubt they were bewildered. It surely must have felt as if hell had won.

 

Today, on this Good Friday in April of 2020, it somewhat feels the same way for us modern-day disciples. We are hold-up in our homes due to COVID-19 safer-at-home orders spending minutes, hours, and days not knowing where we are in the bigger scheme of things. There is hardly any normal life to be found. It has affected all of us—crossing all lines of division—wealth, race, education, religion—and marginalizing us into one big category—bewildered! And it surely feels as if hell has won.

 

Aren’t we asking those same questions: What just happened? How did we get here? This is not what we bargained for? This is not how following Jesus was supposed to turn out! Is God anywhere to be found?

 

But wait—the truth is that one dark afternoon at Calvary changed everything for Jesus’ disciples then and now. I guess we could say it was a game-changer deluxe! In that fateful moment when Jesus declared “It is finished,” the curse on mankind was broken and the redemptive plan of God was accomplished. In just a few days, that dark moment would yield to a glorious resurrection morning. Great joy would fill the hearts of the disciples when they realized that Jesus was alive forevermore!

 

You see, the time hidden here in this dark moment of a world pandemic is only for a few days. We too will have a glorious resurrection morning and Jesus will appear to us once again. Our hearts will be filled with joy when we understand that just as He had not abandoned His disciples then, He has not abandoned us now. And since we serve a game-changing God, who knows what good will come out of this dark time? Who knows what it could mean for us who believe that He always keeps His promises, and that everything He ever told us will be just as He said?

 

It is in our best interest as modern-day disciples of the Living Lord to trust our faithful Father and believe that this too is indeed a Good Friday! He has never failed us yet!

 

May we celebrate this strange Easter as disciples of great faith! Blessings to all ~ Janie

Holidays

It’s Still the Greatest Story Ever Told

1 Comment

It’s been an eventful year for us, some good events and others not-so-good. We lost Owen’s youngest brother, Rodney, along with 22 other friends and relatives from our lives. Loss is certainly a part of life. For me, the year was filled with stories, and again, some good and others not-so-good. I spent 2019 writing my family’s story, doing ancestry research, and gathering personal stories of grandparents who were gone before I was born. Who doesn’t want to hear a grandparent story! And who doesn’t want to tell a grandparent story! I hope you cherish your own family stories, as they are indeed priceless. They are a part of who we are today. Now don’t get me wrong—our stories didn’t all have Hallmark endings; but through it all I did learn that “With God, in the end we win!”

 

It has also been an eventful year of news stories that you may have read or heard in the media. Some were amazing—others not so much—depending on what turns you on. For instance, this year was the 75th Anniversary of D-Day; it was 50 years after the Woodstock Music Festival; and the 50th Anniversary of Neil Armstrong walking on the moon. The 116th Congress had a record number of women at 125; Black Friday digital sales topped out at $7.4 billion dollars, and the stock market hit several new record highs.

 

On a much better note, Mister Rogers showed up again on A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. Tom Hanks did a marvelous job in this story of forgiveness that will melt any embittered heart. It’s well worth your time to see. Yet, still better than all of that, our choir is rehearsing a Christmas song written by Gloria Gaither titled It’s Still the Greatest Story Ever Told. Her incredible imagery tells us everything we need to know about Christmas:

 

A woman and an angel, a promise and a song,

A word too grand for any mind to hold.

A tax law and a journey, a stable and some straw

These tell the greatest story ever told.

A hillside and some shepherds, a blaze of blinding light,

Angels singing carols in the cold.

Eternal revelation to men as dull as stone

The glorious, greatest story ever told.

Oh sing glory in the highest, He has come, our great Messiah.

Come bow before this awesome mystery.

Mighty God and fragile Baby here a lowly manger holds.

And it’s still the greatest story ever told.

 

My Christmas Wish for all of us is that we will recognize the miracle that happened one starry night in Bethlehem when God Himself entered our world. May we be as joyous as the birth parents, as awe-struck as the shepherds, and as full of praise as the angels. May any dull and stony hearts among us be melted by the warmth of God’s love as we marvel once again at the Christchild in the manger. It truly is, and always will be, the glorious, greatest story ever told!

Merry Christmas to all, Janie

 

 

Holidays, Uncategorized

We Need a Little Love

2 Comments

Our annual Christmas Cantata includes the song We Need A Little Love. It challenges me. My first reaction is “Yes, we do need a little love”—but then something inside me screams: “Don’t we need a lot of love?” It seems there’s never been a time when there has been such a shortage of love. We see it in the lives of displaced refugees around the world; on the faces of starving children waiting in line for a cup of soup; and the homeless souls hiding in the shadows of our own cities. The need for love comes in all colors, sizes, and shapes—the shape of a broken heart, an empty heart, and even those we think are heartless. Yet every heart needs love. The question is whether or not their need for love can be filled by someone this Christmas.

 

For me, let’s just say I prefer a Hallmark Christmas, and I bet you do too. After all, isn’t Christmas made of gingerbread cookies, dazzling lights, and storybook endings? I wish. But I’m afraid that is not the norm even though it may seem that all Christmases end well. I remember years ago when I was a young wife and mother, how I tried to make each Christmas the best Christmas ever—only to find myself with an empty heart and wallet when it was all over. You might remember that feeling as well. The let-down occurs when the holiday comes to a close, the hype is gone, and there’s only a mess to clean up.

 

I’m not sure if I just grew up somewhere along the way or if I’ve learned by experience that the real joy of Christmas comes with simpler things—like having those we love nearby, sharing our blessings with the less fortunate, and taking time to worship the Christ of Christmas. Nothing else is lasting. The chorus of the song says this:

We need a little love to light the world from up above

Spreading good tidings to men, peace once again

That’s what my heart’s dreaming of, we need a little love.

 

Instead of thinking about how much love we need, perhaps we should focus on how much love we can give away. If we have even a small amount of God’s love, we can light up our world—this space around us that we call ours. We certainly have good tidings to share with others that Baby Jesus is the Savior of the whole world. And if we will let Him come into our broken and empty hearts, He will fill each one with His eternal peace. Who knows, maybe even the heartless will find some heart and turn to the Lover of their souls. Actually, I think that’s exactly what my heart is dreaming of.

 

These simple gifts of Christmas—love, light, good tidings, and peace—are ours to receive and ours to give away. What more could we need? So the songwriters were right all along—we really do need only a little of God’s love! My Christmas prayer is that you and I will join with thousands of Christians around the world this year in giving the most lasting gift of all—a little love.

Merry Christmas to all ~ Janie Kellogg

Encouragement, Holidays

Memorial Day Hope ~ How to Refocus Our Focus

Leave a comment

Memorial Day weekend is here and many are thankful just to get a break from work, regardless of the occasion. But for others, Memorial Day is a somber time to decorate gravesites and reflect on our losses. And for those with fresh losses, it can be a very painful time.

 

As I was thinking about how to minimize the pain of loss, it came to me that instead of focusing on our losses—maybe we could refocus our focus.

 

Raw reality is that death hurts.

There is no easy way through the death of loved ones.

These is no joy or happiness to be found anywhere in any of it.

There is no comfort found in well-meaning clichés, like “time heals everything.”

There are no silver-linings in any clouds that hang over our hearts; no positive messages to be embraced; no lingering by the graveside that will bring back what’s been lost.

Death is dreadful. Period.

 

But according to God’s words to us, there is one thing we can do about all the negatives: We can H-O-P-E! God clearly gives us hope that what’s lost will be found; hope that we will see again what’s gone from us now; and hope that these painful memories will fade and reality will live again in our hearts.

 

So, how might we go about refocusing our focus on H-O-P-E? Here are a few ideas:

 

We can focus on how God has planted hope in our hearts. It had to come from somewhere!

We can focus on hope that “the then” will get us through “the now.”

We can recall those difficult days following our loss when God Himself walked with us, placed His everlasting arms beneath us, and held our breaking hearts close to His.

We can focus on our survival, perfectly laced with the Father’s comfort and tender mercies.

We can imagine a day brighter than our brightest day on earth, and know that God will keep His Word—those powerful words that have given us the hope of eternal life.

We can focus on His faithfulness and the reality that He has never failed us yet.

 

I think we can do that—refocus our focus on hope—if we set our hearts to it. After all, we serve the God of Hope. No other religion in the whole wide world has what we have—a magnificent God of Hope!

 

As you take time over the next few days to reflect on the joys and sorrows of life, my prayer is that the God of Hope will give you His peace and comfort, and especially, a double portion of H-O-P-E! Blessings to all ~ Janie Kellogg

 

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow [bubbling over, AMP] with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

 

Christian Living, Holidays

An Uncommon Easter

1 Comment

The choir would be gathering later that evening to put the final touches on our Easter Cantata. I sought for some words of inspiration to share with them since technical issues had robbed our last practice of any spiritual connection whatsoever. We had worked hard for weeks and now Easter Sunday is only days away. How might we tap into the true message of Easter, rather than focusing on the mere performance that lies ahead of us?

 

During my morning quiet time, I read several devotionals that focused on Passion Week. Quite unexpectedly, the Holy Spirit dropped the word “uncommon” into my heart. I was reminded that us humans often become so familiar with people, things, and concepts that they lose their uniqueness—their wonder—and thus, their impact on us. I questioned if that is what we have perhaps done with the Easter story.

 

Has the story of Christ’s suffering become common place? Are we calloused to the brutal beating of our Savior’s back, or is it simply too gruesome for us to consider? Is that thorny crown just a part of the imagery, yet we miss the stinging pain inflicted by each single thorn pressed into His brow? And what about the mocking and ridicule He endured—are we oblivious to the agony of cutting words upon the heart? He bore that heavy cross with a weakened body, only to reach the most dreaded place of all—the hill on which He would shed every drop of His royal blood for the ungrateful lot of humankind. And in the worst of the worst moments—when even His Father couldn’t bear to look upon Him—He asked that they would be forgiven because they did not know what they were doing.

 

I don’t know about you, but to me that has all the markings of “uncommonness.” When reviled, Jesus reviled not again. When charged with claiming to be a King—which He was—He said, “As you say.”  Even his closest friends watched from a distance as He died alone. He himself admitted that He could have called ten thousand angels to rescue Him, yet He didn’t, for that would have thwarted the plan of God. This gruesome death was His purpose and He would see it through to the very end—not part way. No, He wouldn’t pronounce His assignment too difficult to complete, nor waver in His belief that this was God’s plan. He would not question who He was or what He came to do. Rather, He endured the cross and pushed through until He could declare before heaven and earth that “It is finished.”

 

Uncommon to mankind? I should say so. Uncommon to you and me? Certainly. There is no commonness of man to be found anywhere in His story, yet we are much like the disciples that fled in the garden. We are capable of standing with Peter and deny that we know Him. At times, we too question His claim to be King. It’s even possible that we would join the ranks of those who jeered and cried out “Crucify him!” Most assuredly, we identify with the lot of followers who looked on from a distance. And the ones who were clueless about what they were doing—they could actually be our next of kin.

 

So how might the word uncommon inspire us? My prayer for myself is that I will never again think of the cross as common. May I never forget the expensive price tag attached to my soul, or take for granted the love of Christ that caused Him to take my place. God forbid that I should ever think that forgiveness is simply Christian jargon, as if God were handing out free raffle tickets for a big prize. I pray that I never underestimate the pain He endured to make me His child, and that I never forget His kindness extended to me is the greatest gift I will ever receive. And lastly, I pray the word “common” never enters my thought process again as I reflect on that incredibly awesome resurrection morning when Christ broke through all the barriers and cinched my own resurrection from death, hell and the grave. Oh, it truly is an uncommon story.

 

As the choir mounted the stage and took their seats for our final practice, I challenged us all to consider what a privilege is ours to present this uncommon story of an uncommon Savior, His uncommon sacrifice, and His uncommon resurrection to many Easter Sunday visitors who perhaps still see Jesus as merely a common man.

 

With a renewed energy and an abundance of adoration and praise filling our hearts, we pulled off a pristine rehearsal. Wishing all of you a very Happy and Uncommon Easter. ~ Janie Kellogg

Photograph by Mark Rouk, Oologah, Oklahoma

 

 

Holidays

Have You Seen the Star?

3 Comments

I never know how or when the inspiration will come for my annual Christmas post—I just know it will. This year, it happened the day after Thanksgiving, when we took my stepson, Wade, to a movie. The choice was simple—animated, not too long, and a positive message. The newly-released Christmas movie Star was sure to fill the bill.

 

Entertaining, delightful, and yes, inspiring! As we got back into the car, we had many takeaways to share with one another. First, we loved the genuinely stubborn donkey named Bo. After chasing his own dreams, Bo decided to turn around and go back to help Mary, the one who had shown him kindness. In the end, by following God’s plan instead of his own, Bo found the desire of his heart—to carry a King on his back.

 

Second, there were those really-bad dogs that pursued Mary relentlessly because their wicked master wanted to kill her. Yet, when Bo bravely intervened and had them headed toward their death, he chose to show mercy instead. In reality, the really-bad dogs were themselves prisoners of the wicked one. Perhaps they were worth giving another chance. After receiving compassion from Bo, they too came and worshipped the Baby King.

 

Lastly, there was Mary’s faith—it never wavered as she remained oblivious to the threats that swarmed around her. Because Mary knew God had given her this assignment, she was confident that nothing could keep her baby boy from being born. She trusted the God who had decreed it so, His choices for Jesus’ make-shift nursery, and the weird menagerie that became the welcoming party.

 

So is Star simply a cute movie, or is there a message for us? I believe the later. Like Bo, we stubbornly chase our own dreams. But somewhere along the way, God’s kindness catches up with us and we make a turn around. It’s then that we realize following God’s plan is the only way to have the desire of our hearts. And aren’t we reminded by those really-bad dogs that our world is full of really-bad characters who are also being directed by the evil one? Is it possible that they can’t see how they are being used by the great enemy of all mankind? Perhaps, some mercy and compassion from us might turn them around. After all, haven’t we been given a second chance? And then there is Mary’s faith—oh how I need it, how we need it! In a world full of darkness, disorder, and danger, could we learn to be oblivious to the threats? Could we see our God-given assignment and then trust the One who has decreed it so, His choices for our lives, and even the weird people He places along our way? Perhaps we could, that is, if our faith wasn’t so small.

 

As Christmas approaches, I must ask, “Have you seen the Star yet?” Have you caught a glimpse of the deeper meaning behind that familiar story of Jesus’ birth and how it applies in the here and now? My prayer for all of us is that we will begin today to follow God’s plan, to show mercy and compassion as we go, and that our faith in God will grow BIG as we embrace the New Year.

 

Christmas blessings to all ~ Janie Kellogg