Casandra Martin

He was just a little guy when I had my first glimpse. He was visiting his grandparents on a hot summer day. A repairman was working on a problem with their garage door, and my little guy couldn’t resist watching the gentleman use his tools. He planted himself in the garage, fascinated with the work going on. My son sat out of the worker’s way, even as the older gentleman and my little guy carried on a lively conversation. At one point his grandmother poked her head in to check on my son and the workman told her he was doing great. “He is preaching me a sermon about Jesus!” the man replied.

Every once and a while, God gives a glimpse. We plant seeds all around us, praying that Jesus will grow in our families, our friendships, our work, and ourselves. The growing process, however, is long and we tend to lose sight of progress when it is so easy to see where we fail and fall short. That is where glimpses come in. A glimpse is a small peek into the way God is working in and around us. They are moments when we get to stop, see, and savor.

“…a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;” – Ecclesiastes 3:2b

We tend to think of harvest time as far away and that our job today is to focus entirely on planting. Planting is necessary, but so is taking time to rejoice in the harvest. There is a time to stop and measure the blessings God has poured into the day. When I heard the story about my son and the garage door repairman, I knew it was a glimpse. I wasn’t done planting Jesus in his life, but it was a moment to recognize what God was already starting to grow in him. Glimpses of the harvest give us the courage to keep planting.

My Jesus Resolution today is to pay attention to the glimpses. There is a time to plant, and with it to pray for Christ to take deep root. There will also be a time to pluck up the fruit of what God is growing, hold it close to my heart, and give thanks. These little moments remind us in the midst of the ordinary, everyday, over-busy stress of life that God is present, at work, and encouraging His children to keep planting and trusting Him with the harvest.

We tend to think of time in very physical terms. This is natural because our physical lives are measured and move within time. We count days and weeks, years and decades, watching our children grow, our bodies change, and the people around us move through the seasons of life. It is with no great surprise, then, that we read a passage like Ecclesiastes 3 in the light of birthdays and funerals and the very physical ramifications of time.

“…a time to be born, and a time to die:” – Ecclesiastes 3:2a

If you are like me, my mind goes to the days that mark the beginning and end of life. We celebrate. We grieve. We come to understand the truth of these words of wisdom. Interestingly, however, the Bible spends more time talking about being born and dying in spiritual terms than it does in physical terms. Perhaps the physical realities of birth and death are meant to introduce us to a spiritual truth we desperately need to understand.

Our physical lives begin with birth and end with death. Spiritual transformation begins with death which then gives way to life. In order to be conformed into the image of Jesus, we have to die to self and be born of water and the Spirit into a new life. And that is just the beginning. Every day I am called to put to death those things that do not look like Jesus, and open my heart to the wonderful, sometimes challenging, things that God wants to bring to life in me.

My Jesus Resolution today is to surrender to the dying and birthing my heart needs to grow. Dying to self is hard work. Being open to Christ being formed in me isn’t always easy. But within the precious time God has given me today I have the opportunity to bury the old and embrace the new. Today there will be a time to be born and a time to die. In order to look more like Jesus, I will need to recognize the opportunity and seize the moment.

We are a society that is dominated by time. We watch time, measure time, borrow time, steal time, fight against time, and complain when time drags. Generations ago they clocked time by the movement of the sun and stars in the heavens. At least when they did that, their eyes were pulled into the vastness of space where they might find perspective and His presence. We, who are surrounded by cell phones, watches, and digital screens, barely have to turn our attention in order to register the time.

God has much to say about time. After all, He created time so it makes sense that He has a purpose for what it is, how it works, and the way we need to use it. Time is a tool. Too many times, however, I live as though time is my master. The calendar controls my mood, my priorities, and my view of the day (and myself). No one little black box, or even 365 of them, should hold that much power in my life.

This year as I bathe my soul in the truth that God is for me, I want to learn to see time from God’s perspective. God is for me as I make a schedule, plan my work week, take care of my family, and run the necessary errands. God also gave me time as a tool to be used to walk in grace, discover joy, confess sins, listen to His heart, and experience His nearness. Time, it turns out, has a tempo, a heartbeat that invites me to live in rhythm with God. When we get out of sync with that rhythm, our souls ache and our hearts feel hurried and exhausted.

My Jesus Resolution today is to pray about time. Psalm 90:12 says, “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” This is going to be my prayer today – that God will teach me to number my days, that He will instruct me about time. If I want to grow in wisdom, I need to learn how to use this powerful tool He has given each of us. Then, over the next few blogs, I would like to explore some of what God says about time, how to use it, and where to invest our hearts. I don’t know about you, but for me – it’s time.

I have a friend that prays. Of course, I know lots of people who pray, but this friend is different. About once a week, she dedicates part of a day to praying for others. She sends out a message letting people know when she will be praying, and invites anyone with a heavy heart, splintered spirit, or struggling soul to share their prayer request. It is neat to watch. She gathers these people close to heart and carries them before the Father. Hearts that are hurting walk through their day knowing that someone cares enough to intercede for them.

“Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” – James 5:16

We all have people for whom we pray. What I love about the heart of my friend is her willingness to open her prayer time to whatever needs are entrusted to her for the day. She extends grace to anyone with the courage to admit that they need God. She doesn’t need a lot of details to pray for you. Just the prompt that you need prayer. What might happen if we had the courage to tell someone that our heart needs to be wrapped in prayer? How might our faith stretch if we committed regular time, space and energy to praying for those around us who are hungry for God’s mercy and power?

My Jesus Resolution today is to examine the way I pray. I have much to learn from my friend. Sometimes my praying falls into a rut. It isn’t bad, but becomes limited in its perspective. Praying for others lets me see God at work, opens my eyes to things for which I need to be thankful, or situations for which I need more compassion. Praying like this connects us with cords of love, builds unity, and opens doors of opportunity. I want to grow in the grace of prayer. Praying for you may be the way in which God transforms us both.

She is six years old, cute as a button, and sweeter than a peach. Her blonde hair curls softly around her face, framing a smile that will melt your heart. My family and I scooted into the pew near where she was sitting with her family. I smiled as I sat down next to her, whispering to her that I was excited to be sitting by her.

Everyone quieted down as the singing began. She pulled the big songbook into her lap, searching for the song number. When she found it, the expression on her face dropped a little bit as she struggled to follow the words of the song. Seeing her concern out of the corner of my eye, I reached over with my finger, pointing to the correct spot in the song. She breathed a little sigh of relief as she began to follow my finger and the song words on the page.

After a little confusion moving from verse one to verse two, she did something that both touched my heart and taught me a lesson about following Jesus. She put her finger on top of my finger. For the rest of the song, our fingers moved in sync. She didn’t get lost in the words and together we moved at the tempo of the music. I sat with her, humbled by her wisdom. She didn’t try to do it all by herself. She allowed her movement to be guided by a more experienced hand, trusting that if her finger stayed with mine, she would be able to participate in praise.

My Jesus Resolution today is to learn from my little friend. I want to have such a desire to worship that I will be open to someone showing me the way. Too many times my pride gets in the way and I miss the moment. Instead, I want to be bold enough to put my finger on top of Christ’s, allowing Him to guide me into a moment of praise I could never have experienced on my own.

It happened more than twenty-five years ago. Someone showered criticism and flung shame at my heart. It stuck. Even now, I can still remember how the encounter made me feel about two inches tall. The echoes of that day still resonate within me.

We all have a voice in our heads. Someone who threw guilt, inadequacy, or less-than-good-enough in our direction. That voice has tremendous power to shape our steps, impact how we see ourselves in the mirror, and measure our self-worth. We enter a new day and the residue of those negative voices guide how we move, often times without us even realizing it.

It is then, perhaps, no accident that one of God’s most repeated commands is “Hear.” Throughout His Word, God repeatedly calls to the hearts of His people to listen. One of the primary commands contained in the Shema, the foundational truth of the Old Testament and the greatest command of the New Testament, begins, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” (Deuteronomy 6:4-5) God knows that the voices of the world are going to invade our heads. They will set up road blocks, make us feel unworthy, and prevent us from moving forward. The only way to defeat these voices to listen to His voice. To hear truth instead of lies. To listen to love rather than shame.

My Jesus Resolution today is to listen to God’s voice. I am always surprised by the pull the world’s words have on my heart. Too many times I let my need for approval, my desire to fit in, or my tendency to measure my value by what I see in others to play loud in my head. Letting God’s words fill me, allowing His voice to set the rhythm for my soul, is the only antidote to the poison of those painful words. Jesus will always speak the truth into my life, and that truth will transform me into a person fit for His glory.

Can you think of something amazing that God has done for you? God is constantly moving on behalf of those He loves. He answers prayers, opens doors, provides help and healing, and reveals His glory. Sometimes it is easier to look back with twenty-twenty hindsight and see His fingerprints. Sometimes I am distracted, busy, worried, or stressed and miss Him. Sometimes I honestly don’t recognize amazing when I see it.

I want to develop new eyes this year. I want a heart more sensitive to His presence. I want ears more attuned to His voice. I want to experience all of the joy, provision, power, glory, protection, and love that He pours into every moment. The question is how do I learn to see?

It seems like it might be a complicated process considering how blind my heart tends to be, but perhaps it might be as easy as asking myself one simple question. What amazing thing as God done for me in the last ten minutes? Focusing on God’s movement in the here and now has the power to open my eyes and my heart. I don’t need to look for burning bushes or handwriting on the wall. Just the little, simple, ordinary things that God touches in the everyday – a hug, a sunrise, food on the table, a call from a friend, a pretty flower. These are all evidence of God moving in amazing ways for me and around me.

My Jesus Resolution today is to set my alarm for ten minutes past the hour. Once an hour I am going to stop and ask what amazing thing God has done for me in the last ten minutes. I want to learn to notice the way He touches my day. I want to get in the habit of celebrating His movement. I want the conversations around my dinner table to revolve around the amazing things God did for us during the day. I want to praise Him for filling the smallest blocks of time with His amazing presence. So tell me, what amazing thing has God done for you in the last ten minutes?

Well, it is the beginning of a new year. The pages on the calendar are still (relatively) blank. The year stretches out in front of us full of possibilities, opportunities we have yet to count, challenges we will face, struggles that will bring us to our knees, and surprises that will fill us with joy. We can plan, make resolutions, commit, and determine, but I know up front that my own strength is not going to be enough. Instead, my single resolution this year is to embrace a single truth, and let it carry me through each day.

“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” – Romans 8:31

God is for you. Those four words have immeasurable power. They mean you can’t be defeated. You can hold on to peace. You can experience joy. You have enough grace to make it. You can face the moment…yes, even that one. The world will stand up against you. There will be days when it feels like nothing or no one is on your side. You will fall, fail, and feel frustrated. Through everything, God is for you. He is on your side. He is rooting for you, moving on your behalf, and making a way. He will take the difficult moments, using them for His purpose and glory. He promises to use every moment you put in His hands to transform you into the image of Jesus. He allows our joys to be glimpses of how wonderful heaven will be. You don’t take one step through any day alone. He is for you. Holding onto that one truth will make all the difference this year.

My Jesus Resolution today is to let this truth soak deep down into my soul. God is for me. Say it aloud. Write it down. Post it on the mirror. Let it be the banner that flies over your heart during 2015. I don’t know what you are facing, or will face, this year. I do know that if I had the chance, I would look in your eyes, give you a hug, and speak these four words to your heart. God is for you. And because of that, we are going to have some amazing stories to tell as this year unfolds.

It begins with a single tenor voice offering these words of hope. “Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.” These are the opening words of one of the most well-known and frequently performed musical works in Western culture – George Frideric Handel’s Messiah. Written in twenty-four days in the summer of 1741, Handel’s Messiah begins by sweeping through the Old Testament book of Isaiah as it shines a spotlight on the coming of a Savior who will redeem the world. It then moves through the death, burial, and resurrection of the Messiah, climaxing in the intensely moving Hallelujah Chorus, as the Christ’s triumph over sin and death are proclaimed to the world.

While originally written in three parts and intended to be a lesson on Christ and His redemption to be performed during Easter, Messiah has found a special place in the music of the Christmas season. The libretto, or text, of the oratorio was written by Charles Jennens, a devout Christian. Using the King James Bible and The Book of Common Prayer, Jennens sought to use the words to introduce an increasingly secular world to Jesus. He brought his completed libretto to Handel, who was reduced to tears as he finished the Hallelujah Chorus. Handel told his assistant, “I did think I saw heaven open, and saw the very face of God.”

That, of course, is the message of the Messiah. Not just Handel’s oratorio, but the message of God through His Messiah. He came so that we could see the very face of God, and enter into a heaven opened by His blood. He came with a purpose to offer comfort to all people. He came to reveal the love of God in a way never seen before. He came to push back the darkness, lighting the way into the Father’s presence for all who choose to name Him as Lord.

My Jesus Resolution today is to listen anew to the message of the Messiah. Our world desperately needs the message of hope and comfort offered by Jesus. I need it. I want to pay attention to the way the prophets urge me to watch with anticipation for His coming. I want to watch with wide-eyed wonder as the heavens open and God wraps Himself in human skin. I want to be broken and made new as the hallelujahs spill through heaven and earth at His triumph over my sin. I want to see the very face of God, and in Jesus, I can.

“Thanksgiving was never meant to be shut up in a single day.” ~Robert Caspar Lintner 

The seasons have already switched. The dishes are barely done. There are still leftovers in the fridge. Kids aren’t back in school yet, but we have moved on. Thanksgiving is over, and the Christmas season has already been launched. Our national attention to gratitude is ushered out by pre-dawn sales and the rush to make the most out of the next holiday.

Don’t let Thanksgiving go so easily. Hold onto the beauty of a day spent resting in your blessings. Hang onto the contentment you felt in the company of family and friends. Soak in the awareness of God’s hand on your life, His grace on your soul, and His love filling your heart.

Too many times, I flip the pages of my calendar and forget that thankfulness is supposed to be the defining characteristic of a life infused with Christ. Thanksgiving helps me see His fingerprints on my days. Gratitude is the best way to experience the fullness of His presence because it makes my heart tender to His nearness and aware of His gentle tug at my soul.

I am good at counting my problems, naming my burdens, grumbling about my grievances, whining about my work, fretting about my family, fuming at my friends, and cataloguing the circumstances that seem to be against me. Thankfulness is the tool God uses to turn me inside out. Joy flows from discovering the reasons to be grateful in the moment I am in. Love breaks through to my heart when I pause and say thanks. Peace moves in when I turn my eyes from my troubles to His tenderness.

My Jesus Resolution today is to stretch Thanksgiving out. I am going to make it a 365 day event. No, there won’t be turkey every day, but there will be gratitude. I want thankfulness to define the way I see my world. I want it to be evident in the way I treat others, the choices I make, the way I speak, and even the way I celebrate the next holiday on the calendar. Thanksgiving was never meant to be confined to a single day. Be full of thanks and let it overflow into every day.