You Are Saved

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By Commissioner Colleen Riley

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

This time of the year is especially poignant for Christians. It is the beginning of the story as it were. Thousands of years ago, in a small town, in the most unlikely way, the Savior was born, not for His benefit, but for ours.

I imagine that it was both a frightening and amazing night for Mary and Joseph. The birth of your first child is something awe inspiring and a little scary at the same time. Picturing myself in a stable on what I assume to be a very cold night, surrounded by animals, giving birth to not just my son, but the Savior, is something I can’t quite grasp. But Mary did. Mary in those moments, was just looking at the face of her son, her first child, the one she deeply loved. Then the angel of the Lord appeared, the shepherds stopped by and gave honor to this child that they had been told about, but Mary, pondered in her heart all that she had seen and heard. The Savior had been born. The beginning of the story.

This boy would grow up with a carpenter father and a virgin mother to become a sacrifice for each of us. Luke Chapter 2:40 tells us “And the child grew and became strong; He was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon Him.” God sent His one and only Son to live as a man, to understand how you and I live, to have feelings and emotions, to be tempted, heal others, have joy, share sorrow, and to raise people from the dead. And, He was to be a living sacrifice for you and me.

It is not enough to read about Jesus. We must know Him and to accept Him as our personal Savior. John chapter 14, Jesus is speaking to His disciples, even though they were with Him and learned from Him, still did not KNOW Him. In verse 6 He answers them “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”  Jesus was born so be in relationship with you and I and to draw us closer to Himself. We are saved by the beautiful and unending grace of God in our lives when we confess our sins, and turn to Him, he is faithful and forgives us.

We can thrive and flourish in our identity in Christ. You and I, made in the image of Christ, have our identity in Him. As you celebrate the birth of Jesus this Christmas, look further than the stable. Take a deep reflection on this very beginning of the journey to our salvation. Jesus came, he grew in strength and wisdom. Jesus taught and healed and was loved and put to death on a cross for you and for me. There is joy in our celebration not just because of the birth, but where this birth took Jesus, for our sake. It is the greatest gift of all – salvation!                                                                                                                               
I pray that you will accept this gift, if you haven’t already. It will change your life. And if you have a relationship with Him, that this year will be another reminder of His perfect and sacrificial love for you. God bless you!

God Knows Me

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By Major Beth Desplancke

Recently, I had the wonderful privilege of attending the USA Central Territory’s Abide Women’s Conference in Green Lake, Wisconsin. It was so exciting to go to a part of the country I had never been to before (first, but hopefully not my last, trip to Wisconsin). I was privileged to be invited to teach a workshop at this event. Although I was excited, I was also anxious. Going somewhere new meant there would be a lot of faces I did not know, and they would not know me.

I am friendly by nature, and have overcome a lot of shyness, but the thought of going to an unknown place, with unknown people, where I sort of knew a few people, was scary. Who would I sit with at meals? (Asking to sit at a table brings back lots of anxiety recalling the traumatic events of my middle school years when people did not want me to sit at their table). Would I spend the entire weekend alone in a sea of 700 women?

I knew that there were four people that I had met before. I worked with one at camp in the summer of 1989, another I met at a conference I attended two years ago, and then two that served on the same national committee as me (one of which invited to me to come participate in this weekend). And for the record, none of these four women would I call close friends, but acquaintances.

One of my assignments for the weekend was to help with the registration of all these women attending this event. I saw lot so faces, and heard lots of names of women I did not know. To my surprise, there were three additional names and faces I did recognize. Women from The Salvation Army USA Western Territory (where I am from) who are now settled in the central part of the US.

The lady next to me at registration, Cindy (a new friend I made over the weekend), would see a familiar face, and say, “I know you” and would find her name on the list. Each time she said that I felt a little lonely. I was startled when a sweet lady who was checking in said to me, “I know you” with a bright, big smile and arms opened wide, ready to hug me. I had no clue who this woman was, and I knew for certain I had never met her. She did not know me.

But I responded to her open arms, and we mutually hugged each other. She asked me how I have been? I responded with “fine.” We had a brief conversation. I have no idea if she ever realized the fact that she didn’t know me. But for that moment, I was reminded of the importance of being known.

The lady who claimed she knew me and hugged me, I never saw again over the weekend. I did get to meet lots of new friends, but to the woman who claimed she knew me, and offered this “lost in the crowd” person a warm greeting and friendly hug, I am eternally grateful.

It feels good to be known, for someone to recognize me, and know my name, and to truly know me. What a comfort it is that God knows me. He knows my name, and everything about me. David writes in Psalm 139:

You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain (v. 1-6).

JJ Heller has a beautiful song, “Fully Known.” The song begins with these words:

Have you ever felt lost
Driving down the same road every day?
And you’re caught in traffic
But everyone feels a thousand miles away
Does anyone see you?
Does anyone care? Does anyone know your name?

And then the chorus proclaims:

You are fully known by the Author of space and time
He won’t let you go
And you cannot change His mind
No, you cannot change His mind.

In a sea of people, God knows you. He knows your name. He knows your thoughts. He knows the way you take. God knows all about you. There is no mistaken identity; you and I can never get lost in the crowd. Celebrate the fact that you are fully known by the Author of space and time.

You are His Precious Child

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By Colonel Genevera Vincent

I was very blessed in my life to have two very godly grandmothers who always made me feel special. There was never a doubt in my mind that I was precious to them-that I belonged to them. My paternal grandmother was outgoing and involved in every aspect of our little corps, taking the position of YPSM for many years while my maternal grandmother was a very shy, quiet lady who would never speak in public. While she never learned to read or write, the love of God was evident in the way she lived her quiet life. I saw Jesus in both my grandmothers and felt special to God because of their godly influence in my life.

On April 28, 2023, I became a grandmother…affectionally known as Nana! My prayer for Callum is that he will grow up knowing he is precious, to his family and to God. When we visit, it warms my heart to listen to our son and daughter-in-law read Bible stories to Callum at night before bed. He will know at the very start of his life that he is God’s precious child.

The scriptures give us many wonderful reminders of our worth in Christ. The book of Isaiah is broken into two themes. Part one, which includes chapters 1-39 is known as the book of judgement and part two, which includes chapters 40-66 is known as the book of comfort. Here, in part two, Isaiah prophecies about the exiles being brought home, and restoration of the nation begins. In Isaiah 49, beginning with verse 8, God is promising the restoration of the nation which he loves and cares for even though they are feeling forsaken and forgotten by God. Verse 15 gives us a beautiful picture of God’s love and care for us. It’s impossible to read verse 15 without feeling precious!

“Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands.”

What a reminder of our worth! While we can’t possibly fathom a mother who can so easily forget her baby, this scripture reminds us that it can and does indeed happen. Not so with God! A mother may forget and not show compassion, but God will not forget you. God will not forget me. We have been created in the image of God and we are precious to him…engraved on the palms of his hands.

Psalm 139 is yet another reminder of how precious we are to God. The whole psalm speaks of our being known and loved by God. Verses 17-18 from the Living Bible reads, “How precious it is, Lord, to realize that you are thinking about me constantly! I can’t even count how many times a day your thoughts turn toward me. And when I waken in the morning, you are still thinking of me!”

Have you ever had someone remark to you, “I have been thinking about you a lot lately?” How has that made you feel? I would assume that it made you feel loved, cared for and precious. While on summer vacation this year, I was able to connect with a cousin I have not seen in over thirty years and a school friend I have not seen in over forty years. In our conversation we remarked that reconnecting after all these years was the “icing on the cake” to our vacation. Reminiscing and reflecting on our growing up years, reminded us of how precious our time was together and how precious our friendships were. I left my hometown this summer following vacation, feeling blessed to be able to reconnect after so many years with people who are precious to me.

I recognize that there may be people reading this blog whose upbringing left you feeling unloved and uncared for. Like the nation of Israel while in exile, you may have even felt forgotten by God at times in your life. I want to assure you again that YOU ARE HIS PRECIOUS CHILD! You are loved, you matter, you belong in God’s family. In God’s family there are no favorite children. Someone has aptly said, “There is nothing we can do to make God love us any less and there is nothing we can do to make God love us more.”

Please hear this, GOD LOVES YOU! You are precious to him and there is nothing more beautiful than watching people flourish in their identity in Christ as his precious and dearly loved child.

Speak, For Your Servant is Listening

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By Major Beth Desplancke

My son, Ryan, has a husky named Ayla, who spends a lot of her day chilling in the front entryway of our home, looking out the window. This is one of her favorite spots in the house, especially in the mornings. After Ayla has gone outside first thing in the morning, Ayla goes to the front room and lays her head on the window ledge and just relaxes, and she waits. She waits for the time Ryan gets up in the morning and opens his bedroom door.

Ayla is so tuned to her master, that she knows when she hears a door open in the house, whether it is Ryan’s or not. When it is Ryan’s door, her ears perk up, and she immediately goes towards his bedroom door, alert and ready for her master.

Now, I have listened to the various bedroom doors in our house, and they all sound the same to me. I can’t tell which of my three kids is opening the bedroom door, but Ayla can. When another door opens, her ears perk up, but then she relaxes back into her resting position.

Day in and day out as I watched the dog do this, the Lord started stirring my heart. Am I actively listening for God to speak to me, in my life? And when He speaks to my heart, am I quick to respond?

In 1 Samuel 3, we see a great example of one who is listening for the Lord to speak and ready to respond. Samuel is serving in the temple, under the tutelage of Eli. One night, Samuel was lying in his usually place and he heard someone call his name. He got up and immediately went to Eli and said, “Here I am, you called me” (1 Samuel 3:6). Eli said he didn’t call and told Samuel to go back to bed. Two more times this happened. Finally, by the third time, Eli realized what was going on. He told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening” (1 Samuel 3:9). Samuel obeyed, went back to bad, and sure enough God called to him again. Samuel heard the voice and this time responded, “Speak, for your servant is listening” (1 Samuel 3:10). Then the Lord told Samuel what He was about to do in Israel, including the fact that Eli and his family would no longer serve as priests to the Lord (3:11-14; see also 1 Samuel 2:27-36).

Now, most of us will never have an encounter where God appears and calls us audibly by name, so how do we go about listening for Him? From Samuel, I learn 4 things I need to do in order to listen for and hear God: Sit in Silence, Stop Talking, Slow Down/Stay Put, Say Yes!

Samuel was in a quiet place. Our world is anything but quiet; we are surrounded by noise. We can’t eliminate all the noise around us, but we can choose to find a quiet place to meet with God each day, in order that we might hear Him. It may mean finding a quiet place in your home (a spare room, a closet, the bathroom, the garage). Or when driving to work, turning off the radio and driving in silence, spending that time with the Lord.


Finding silence also means to stop talking. Samuel only said 6 words: “Speak, for your servant is listening.” He acknowledges that he is ready to listen, and then he listens. It is God who does the speaking. When God is done, there is no record of Samuel speaking back to the Lord. God wants to talk to us, but we have to be willing to stop talking and allow Him to speak.

After we stop talking, we need to slow down and wait for God to respond. Samuel said he was listening to God, and then made himself available, and he allowed God to speak. Often when I pray, doing all the talking, say amen and move on, not allowing God a chance to respond. The same goes with my time reading His Word. Sometimes I speedily read through it, just to say I did it for the day, but I fail to linger, to contemplate, to think about what I read. The Bible is God’s Word; He speaks to us through it, but we have to slow down in order to hear Him. Margaret Feinberg wrote, “Listening forces me to learn patience. Nowhere in the Bible does God commit to running on our schedule or fitting into our time frame, though I wish it were that easy.” I must stay put, and wait, expectantly for Him to speak.

When the Lord speaks, I can’t pretend I didn’t hear Him (especially if I don’t like what He is saying to me). I need to respond by saying “yes” to Him. Samuel listened to what God had said to him, and in the morning when Eli asked about what happened Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing from him (1 Samuel 3:18). God had given Samuel a message, and Samuel said yes to God and obeyed.

Lord, may I tune out the noise of the world and lean in and listen to what you have to say to me today! May I be like Samuel, Speak, for your servant is listening.

Meditation and Memorization of Scripture

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By Colonel Genevera Vincent

I remember with great fondness my Sunday School days as a child. I can still visualize many of the lesson pictures from the Scripture Press material. I remember many of the responsive scripture readings and, of course, the flannel graph stories. I know I’m dating myself, but I have a feeling there are those reading this right now who share some of these fond memories from your Sunday School days!

Back then, studying God’s word and memorization of scripture was a big deal. One of the first…if not the first verse I memorized as a child (from the King James Version of course) was Psalm 119:11, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee.”

I am grateful to say that I have been hiding God’s word in my heart ever since then, and his word, his promises never get old. It’s amazing how a reflection on God’s word can ground you during a difficult situation with verses coming to mind that set you on a right path. This has been proven many times in my life. When I’m afraid or anxious, often a verse will come to mind that reminds me of the goodness and faithfulness of God and the anxious feelings subside and the fear diminishes.

In this age of Google and Siri, when we can call something up in an instant, this idea of scripture memorization can be a dying art. People may question, “When I have so much information at my beck and call, why tire the brain with memorization?” I would propose that this is very flawed thinking. Hiding God’s word in our hearts means that we have committed to memory those verses and passages that buoy us up when life gets tough…and even when life is good! Remember, you can’t recall what you have not previously learned. It’s important to know God’s word and be able to recall and recite verses that bring encouragement to yourself and others, as well as stabilize us all during difficult times.

My maternal grandfather suffered a debilitating stroke when he was 68 years old. Sadly, it left him paralyzed and unable to walk or talk. He lived for 10 years following his stroke and most of that time he was bedridden. What amazed so many is that, while he was unable to speak, he was still able to sing! He had a beautiful, strong, singing voice and while lying in bed, unable to walk or talk, he blessed many while he sang hymns and gospel songs that he had committed to memory prior to his stroke. He was unable to learn anything new but the songs he had previously learned brought comfort and inspiration to him and to many others.

Meditating on God’s word and memorization of scripture is encouraged all throughout the Bible. In Deuteronomy 11:18-21, the people of Israel were instructed to have God’s word in their heart and mind. This truly speaks to meditating and memorizing. Jeremiah speaks of God’s words as becoming a part of him when he wrote in Jeremiah 15:16, “When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight.” In the New Testament, this appreciation for God’s word continues. Colossians 3:16 is a verse I especially love. It states, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly…” Towards the end of the Bible in Hebrews 4:12, we are reminded, “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

In this age, when so much is “up for grabs”, we need more than ever to know God’s word, to meditate on it, and to memorize those precious promises that will see us through the highs and lows of life.
My meditation on God’s word has become richer since I became an empty nester. Sure, I read the Bible when my kids were still at home, but sometimes that time was interrupted with the duties of being a mother and taxiing my children from one place to another. Since becoming an empty nester, my time in the God’s word is usually uninterrupted and I am often amazed at the nuggets I find in scripture that somehow jump off the page to me. I wonder, “how did I not see this before?!?!” God’s word is certainly living and active!

I often think of my grandfather and what a rich treasure he had during the most difficult time of his life. Because he had committed songs to memory about God’s goodness and faithfulness, they carried him through when he couldn’t put them into a spoken word. I have often thought what a tragedy it would have been if he didn’t have a song in his heart and in his mind for when he needed it most.
How important it is for us as we seek to flourish in the spiritual disciplines, to meditate on God’s word and to hide his Word deep in our hearts. James 1:25 is a great reminder of this value, “But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard but doing it – he will be blessed in what he does.”

Get into the word today, memorize it, and be blessed by the fruit it bears in your life!

The Need to Forgive

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By Major Beth Desplancke

She hurt me deeply. Her words to me were mean, and untruthful. She attacked my character and my capability. She came across as being perfect, without any faults, and I had no redeeming qualities whatsoever. I tried to defend myself, to correct her perspective of me, but she would not listen. No matter what I did, she would not change her view of me.

She shared her opinions about me as facts to other people. She came across as being perfect, without any faults, and I had no redeeming qualities whatsoever. They listened and believed her version of reality.
I was mad. I deserved and desired an apology. Just seeing her made me angrier; instantly my jaw would become clenched, my shoulders would tighten, and my hands would ball into a fist. Simply hearing her voice would cause the feelings to bubble inside of me.

She had moved on. She hurt me and didn’t care. I told myself that I was over it but knew better. I was still upset. She continued to fill my thoughts, and conversations. The whole situation took up way too much of my time. I am not proud of my behavior, but I was like a dog with a bone – I wasn’t going to let it go.

Then one day in Sunday School class, the infamous verse came up in the discussion. As soon as I heard the reference, I knew what the verse said, and I did not like it. In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says these words about loving your enemies, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and unrighteous.” (Matthew 5:43-44).

I squirmed in my seat. She wasn’t my enemy. Well, she wasn’t my enemy before the incident. Now, after what she had done, I didn’t want to be around her. Yes, in my mind, she had become the enemy. Of course I will pray for her, I thought to myself. I will pray that she comes to her senses and realizes what she had done was wrong, and she will apologize. Or better yet, she will be treated as I was treated and experience the same kind of hurt and pain. Deep down, I knew that this wasn’t what God was intending with this verse.

As If I weren’t uncomfortable enough, we then turned to the passage later in the book of Matthew, when Peter asks Jesus a question about forgiveness. Matthew 18:21-22 says, Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.”

Peter was looking for an easy answer – a limit to how many times he had to forgive someone who wronged him. Jesus’ answer wasn’t a mathematical solution. Some translations say it “seventy times seven” times (490). What Jesus is saying is that forgiveness is not to be calculated. It is unlimited. We are to continue to forgive people, no matter how many times they have hurt us.

God was really trying to get my attention that Sunday morning. I knew I needed to forgive her. I wasn’t hurting her; I was only hurting myself. She had moved on; I hadn’t. My stewing over it was doing nothing to her; she probably had no idea that it was still festering inside of me.

Diane Marr, in her book, The Reluctant Traveler, says this about unforgiveness: “Unforgiveness can be likened to a parasite it feeds on the anger and hurt of its host, finding its most satisfying nourishment in human pain. It thrives on the cycle of replayed scenes, recalled anguish, and rehashed justification for holding fast to grudges. Essentially, unforgiveness grows plump on our desire for revenge.” The picture of a parasite growing inside of me is enough to gross me out and want to forgive.

The Bible is very clear. Forgiving others is a command; it is not optional! I may not feel like forgiving her for what she had done, but God expected me to do it. Another verse that came up during that Sunday school class, one that I had memorized as a small child, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32). Ok, God, I get the hint.

I spent a lot of time in prayer, asking God to forgive me for my attitude towards her. I asked God to work in my heart and to also work in hers. Every time those feelings of unforgiveness and anger started to boil up, I immediately asked God to help me to forgive her.

There have been a lot of “hers” in my life. The stories and situations are different, but my lack of unforgiveness is a common reoccurrence in my life. I know my experience isn’t unique. We all have times when we need to ask forgiveness of others as well as when we need to do the forgiving.

Forgiveness does not come easily or naturally. We cannot forgive in our own strength. We must rely on His Spirit, and His power to forgive others. Instead of being a bulldog chewing on a bone or allowing unforgiveness to grow in our hearts like a parasite, we need to remember that Christ forgave us of our sin, and we should forgive others. As the Lord’s prayer says, forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors (Matthew 6:12).

Controlling the Tongue

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By Colonel Genevera Vincent

I remember as a child repeating the words of the adage, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” It’s very interesting that the words were often repeated through tears and sobs as a defense against an unkind word spoken or name calling. The defense was very weak as there is no shred of truth to the adage. Words are indeed powerful and can hurt deeply! Because words are powerful, we need to choose them carefully.

Rotary International has what they call, “The Four-Way Test” …of the things we think, say, or do…

  1. Is it the truth?
  2. Is it fair to all concerned?
  3. Will it build good will and better friendships?
  4. Will it be beneficial to all concerned?

I love this four-way test and I believe that if we all incorporated it in our lives, a lot of damage could be avoided.

Incidents from childhood and even adulthood may be foggy preventing us from recalling all the particulars of the incident, but we often will remember words spoken…both negative and positive. As children of God, it is very important that we have good control of the tongue. That may come easy for some people, and it may require great discipline for others. I am sure we all wish we could take back unkind words spoken. While we can’t take back words once they are spoken, “I’m sorry” is undeniably powerful and often life giving!

We have all no doubt heard it said that we should listen twice as much as we speak. There is such truth to that statement, and we would do well to heed its warning. I believe words come from a deep place within us and when we are personally troubled by the words we speak and wish we could take them back, we may need to ask deeper questions:

  • Why do I react with words the way I do?
  • Is there something from my past that I am still holding onto that causes me to say the things I say?

If we want to flourish, and be deeply rooted in the spiritual disciplines, we need to exercise great control and wisdom with our words. The Bible says a great deal about the tongue and words.

In Matthew 15:11, Jesus said, “What goes into a man’s mouth does not make him unclean, but what comes out of his mouth. That is what makes him unclean.” The disciples asked Jesus to further explain to them what he meant by that, and his response was, simply put, eating something without washing your hands does not make a person unclean, but the words spoken from his lips does, because words essentially come from the heart. It is out of the heart that evil thoughts, murder, adultery etc. come.

There is much wisdom to be gained from the Proverbs. I am quoting several Proverbs here that we might need to sit with for a moment or two, drinking in the truth and sitting quietly, ask ourselves, “How are these Proverbs showing up in my life? Are they showing up at all? What do I need to do to ensure that my life and words reflect Jesus?”

“When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.” (Proverbs 10:19)
“He who guards his mouth, and his tongue, keeps himself from calamity.” (Proverbs 21:23)
“A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.” (Proverbs 25:11)
“A wise man’s heart guides his mouth, and his lips promote instruction.” (Proverbs16:23)
“Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.” (Proverbs 16:24)

James also speaks about the importance of control of the tongue. He refers to it as taming the tongue. He says, “The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body.” (3:6) Taming the tongue may not always be easy but it certainly is essential for the child of God. We want our words to matter, to heal, to edify, to be life giving. I am grateful that with the power of the Holy Spirit at work in our lives, it is possible to tame the tongue and for our words to be encouraging and uplifting to our fellow man and honoring to God.

I think we would all admit that at times we get it wrong, no matter how well intentioned we are, no matter how close we walk with God. We must admit that sometimes we are too quick to speak and too slow to listen. It’s bound to happen; we are human after all. None of us will be perfect, this side of eternity. To flourish in the spiritual disciplines requires us to admit when our words are not edifying and apologize when necessary. An apology is truly life giving!

I pray that as we seek to control the tongue, we will, with the Psalmist David say, “I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my tongue” (Psalm 34:1). With God’s praise on our tongue, we can’t go wrong! With God’s praise on our tongue, we will flourish!

He Took Our Pain

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By Major Beth Desplancke

When my oldest son, Ryan, was 7 ½ years old, my mother-in-law, on a Monday morning, took him to the doctor’s office for a drop-in appointment, because he had been sick all weekend. We thought it wasn’t too serious; that’s why she took him, because I had another appointment to be at that morning.

Cathy checked him at the doctor’s office. They immediately took him back and put him on oxygen, and informed Cathy that they had called 9-1-1 and an ambulance was on the way. He was transported to Oakland Children’s Hospital – two cities away! We discovered that he had asthma and had we waited any longer to get him to a doctor, he would have died. Five long grueling days my child spent in the hospital.

It broke my heart, and I was utterly helpless. I could do nothing for him! Time went so slowly and the first three days there seemed to be no progress. When it was my turn to leave Ryan and go to the cafeteria, I shed lots of tears. I did a lot of praying, begging and pleading with God for Him to do something. I would have willingly traded places with Ryan, and would have given my life, if I could. Finally on day 4, he was much better, and on the Friday we were able to take him home. Thankfully, he never had a bad issue with asthma again (today he’s a healthy 24-year-old, college graduate and just started his first job in his chosen career).

Those days in the hospital, where I sat by his bed, holding his hand, I couldn’t do much (it was before the days of smart phones so there was no scrolling on Social media or playing mindless games). I spent a lot of time praying silently and thinking about God and His Word. I immediately thought of Mary, Jesus’ mother, as she stood and watched her child be beaten and ridiculed, and then forced to carry His own cross to the place of His crucifixion.

Mary didn’t shy away from the pain, but John records the fact Mary was at the foot of the cross, watching everything her son endured. John 19:26-27 says When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved, standing nearby he said her, “Woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother…” Even in His anguish and pain, Jesus noticed His mom, spoke to His mom, and made sure she was taken care of.

As a mom, I am sure Mary winced, cried secretly (she would have wanted her son to see she was strong), prayed and even bargained with God. I am sure she would have exchanged places with her son if she could. But she knew Jesus had come for a greater purpose. She and Joseph had been told that: “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins (Matthew 1:21).” Perhaps it was at that moment, she recalled when Simeon had said 33 years earlier, when Jesus, as a baby, was presented at the temple, “And a sword will pierce your own soul too” (Luke 2:35). Mary, too, was helpless. There was nothing she could do but watch her child suffer.

Mary hurt for her child, but Jesus suffered. He experienced the whip, the thorns on His brow, the weight of the cross on his bleeding back and the nails physically. His flesh tore, He lost a lot of blood. He had trouble breathing. He thirsted, and then He breathed His last breath. He endured a pain that we will never fully understand. He willingly died for us. Our sins need to be paid for, and He paid the price for us. Isaiah 53: 4-6 states,

“Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

Hallelujah that Jesus took our pain. Unlike Mary and I, who could not switch places with our sons, Jesus did switch places with us. He endured what was meant for us. That is the beauty of the Easter story. Jesus took our place, and died a horrible death, so that we would not have to endure the punishment for our sin. He was afflicted, pierced, crushed, wounded, punished and suffered so we could have healing and peace through Jesus Christ.

Yes, in this world, we will have pain, hurt, sorrows and suffering. Jesus told us that would be the case in John 16:33. But then He made this promise, “But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Hallelujah the Lord understands our pain and our suffering. Hallelujah, He took our place and bore the pain that we should have endured.

Flourishing in the Discipline of Unplugging

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By Colonel Genevera Vincent

When our two sons acquired their first cell phones, these devices came with some rules; one being that they were not permitted at the dinner table. We didn’t allow texting with friends during the dinner meal as this was our family time. It took a few reminders that texting with friends could wait as we ate together and talked about the events of the day. However, it didn’t take long for the message to get through and it really was not a problem for them. Even if it didn’t make sense to our sons at first, they eventually understood that we needed everyone to unplug for a few minutes before we were out the door again, on the way to band practice or some other activity. It was a lesson I’m glad we taught and a rule I’m glad we enforced.

In this age of instant messaging, unplugging from our devices is an extremely difficult thing to do. We send a text message and we want an instant answer. We write an email and, if we haven’t received an answer in the same day, we either feel ignored or we worry that our email didn’t get through. We debate the ills of always being constantly connected, but we fall prey to it repeatedly. When we talk about “unplugging” as a spiritual discipline, we are talking about more than unplugging from phone messages or emails, though they are a big part of it, I believe. If you Google the question, “What does it mean to unplug in life?”, someone shared,

“Unplugging is a disconnection from the chaos of life which comes in multiple forms – one being
an over-reliance on social media. It’s not the device’s fault, but the choice of the user who
feels somehow living plugged into someone else’s life gives them satisfaction.”

I personally look forward to opportunities to unplug and have moments to just breathe. I have never felt the need to let people know what I am doing every moment of the day. The only time I’m interested in what someone is having for dinner is when I’m invited! Apart from that, I don’t sense a real need to view on Facebook what other people are eating…it just makes me hungry!

In chapter 6 of Mark’s gospel, Jesus and his disciples were busy with the activities of ministry. Jesus had sent out his disciples two-by-two to preach the gospel of repentance. According to verse 12, they “drove out demons and anointed many who were sick.” In verse 30, the group has come back together and reported to Jesus all that they had been doing. Seeing that they were tired and hungry, Jesus recognized the need for his followers to “unplug”. He said to them in verse 31, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”

Now if you read this passage, you will notice that the people ran ahead of them, the chaos continued, and the feeding of the five thousand ensued. We often read this passage and it’s the feeding of the five thousand that we focus on. Let’s not forget Jesus’ invitation here. When we’re tired from all the “doing,” Jesus invites us to “unplug” and take time to rest and to be renewed.

When we’re tired from all the “doing,” Jesus invites us to “unplug” and take time to rest and to be renewed.

Colonel Genevera Vincent

On another occasion in Matthew 11;28-30, Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Following the leading of Jesus, it’s important that we “unplug” and allow our souls to find rest.

Ministry is demanding and often difficult. Without taking moments to “unplug,” his yoke and his burden seem anything but easy and light! It’s amazing though how we can approach a difficult task, following moments of rest, and successfully “unplugging”. When we feel rejuvenated and rested, that difficult meeting or conversation somehow seems more manageable. The yoke and the burden seem a little easier and lighter. In simple terms, unplugging is a choice. If we don’t carve out time to “unplug” it will never happen. The business and busyness of our lives will constantly drive us to do more.

In this age of instant messaging, we need more than ever to heed the invitation of Jesus to go to a quiet place and get some rest. That will certainly look different for individual people. Taking a walk, reading a book, sitting quietly and breathing in the quietness, and listening to worship music are all ways we can “unplug” from the chaos of life and find rest. So, take the time and make the effort to incorporate moments to “unplug” into your life and you will not regret it. You will actually flourish!

So, will you please excuse me…I need a moment to “unplug” and finish my cup of tea.

Find Joy

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By Major Beth Desplancke

Every morning when I walk into Territorial Headquarters to begin my workday, I am greeted with these words: “Find Joy.”

What a great reminder as I start each day. No matter what the day holds -meetings to attend, emails to read, reports to generate, people to talk to -whatever I encounter that day, I need to find joy in all that I do. I am going to be honest; some days it is easy to find joy in what I am doing, and other days, not so much.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, so the Christmas song proclaims, but often during this season of rejoicing, that isn’t always true. With all the holiday hustle and season stress, comes the blues of busyness and instead of being filled with joy, our hearts are more pulled toward the words of Ebenezer Scrooge, “Bah Humbug!”

Christmas is the time when we celebrate the birth of our Savior. The birth of our Savior isn’t just joy but GREAT joy! The angel declared to the shepherds on the night Jesus was born:

Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. Luke 2:10-11

The shepherds heard this announcement of a baby being born that will bring great joy to everyone, and of course they must go and see for themselves. They must consciously choose to leave their routine and go and find this baby that would bring great joy to all. After seeing the baby, they leave and must share their joy with others. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told (Luke 2:20).

Later, when the Wise Men were searching for the King of the Jews, they followed a star that led them to Jerusalem, and an encounter with King Herod. They learn of a prophecy that declares this king would be born in Bethlehem. After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where they child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed (Matthew 2:9-10).

We all know that the Christmas season is busy: Christmas shopping, gift wrapping, kettles, nursing home visitations, food drives, Angel trees, preparing toys and food for families in need, parties, baking, decorating, cooking holiday dinners… the list is endless. In all the busyness, we can miss the opportunities to find joy.

How do you find joy in it all? It is a matter of choice! The shepherds and the wise men had to consciously seek out and find the joy. Yes, the calendar is full, and there are lots of activities taking place. Yes, some things are non-negotiable and must be done, but other things we can choose to say yes or no to.

Finding joy might mean saying no to something so you can have one evening at home a week, where you sit down with the family and enjoy a home-cooked meal or spend the evening baking or watching a Christmas movie.

Finding joy could mean saying no to buying things on credit and only spending what you can afford.

Finding joy may mean driving home the long way after a busy day just so you can enjoy the lights of a beautifully decorated neighborhood.

In the busyness of the season, I must plan joy breaks once a week. I usually enjoy iced drinks (which I normally consume faster) but I find joy going to a coffee shop, ordering a hot drink and sitting at a table and savoring each sip. As I slow down, I listen to some of my favorite Christmas carols, or simply enjoy reading a book for fun. After a chapter or two, or after I finished my hot drink, my joy is restored, and I am ready to face the rest of the activities and things that must be done.

In addition to the once-a-week joy breaks, when I find my attitude is in need of an adjustment, and I am not able to find joy in the moment, I close my office door and listen to a favorite Christmas Carol that brings a smile to my face. One of my favorites (I think the video is what makes me smile) is Born is the King (It’s Christmas) by Hillsong Worship. Another favorite of mine (not a Christmas song but is sure to put a smile on your face) is Joy by For King and Country.

In all of the busyness of this season, may we seek out and find the joy that comes through a child’s smile, a thank you for your service, or baking homemade goodies to bless someone else. Challenge yourself to find joy in each day. This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it (Psalm 118:24 NLT).

May you have a joyous Christmas and a joy-filled New Year!