Faithchick

A Year-Long Reminder

 Last weekend I spent an afternoon taking down the Christmas tree. They sure do come down a lot faster than they go up, don't they? There's something a little sad about un-decorating the tree, about taking the ornaments off the branches and placing them in their boxes to be stored up in the attic where I won't see them for eleven months. The front room looks spacious with the furniture all back in their original positions. The fireplace mantle looks a little bleak without the stockings and garland, though, and the entertainment center looks bare without my snowman collection.

One decoration stays out all year long at my house – a nativity set. It’s a simple one, the three pieces formed with artistic, graceful curves. I leave it out year round for a couple of reasons. First, because I think it’s beautiful. And also because whenever I look at it, I remember that the coming of the Christ child was just the beginning. His first coming was quiet and humble and almost overlooked. But the next time, He’s not coming quietly.

“At that time, men will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.” (Mark 13:26, NIV)

Christmas shouldn’t be something we only contemplate once a year. Remember, the best part of Christmas is the first six letters. And Christ is with us all year long.

 

------

Virginia Smith, author of the Sister-to-Sister Series, is about to celebrate the release of her tenth novel, Third Time's a Charm. Read about her books, and enter a Prize Bonanza Giveaway at www.VirginiaSmith.org

I love Christmas Movies!

I love Christmas movies! I don't care if I have seen them a gazillion times, there are some movies that I absolutely will not miss. And for some reason, watching the DVD isn't the same as finding them in the TV Guide. I'll say to my husband in the morning, "Guess what's on TV tonight????" Then at the appropriate time, I'll park myself in front of the television and munch on fudge and Christmas cookies while we watch. There's something special about knowing thousands of other people are watching the same movie at the same time. It's like something we share, and it makes the moment more special.

(Sometimes my husband watches willingly. Other times he must be 'gently' reminded that it's Christmas, and it's his sworn duty to watch Christmas movies with his wife.)

The Christmas television season gets kicked off with the first showing of, "Miracle on 34th Street." The old version, with Natalie Wood and Maureen O'Hara. That's usually shown sometime during Thanksgiving weekend. And of course I absolutely must see "A Christmas Carol" at least a half-dozen times. There are dozens of versions, but my favorites are the old 1951 version with Alistair Sim, and the one with George C. Scott. Awesome! (I watched a couple of "updated" versions within the past week with women in the lead role, and I'm sorry, but it's just not the same.)

The movies don't have to be classics, though. I adore the Hallmark channel during the month of December, because they run a heart-warming (and often romantically sappy) Christmas movie almost every night. I watched one with Kristin Chenowyth the other day, and then one with Gary Sinise the next night. And then Mrs. Miracle, based on a story by Debbie Macomber. I love them! One of my favorite modern movies is, "The Family Man" with Nicholas Cage and Tea Leoni. Wonderful!

But my all-time favorite Christmas movie ever is Dr. Seuss's, "How the Grinch Stole Christmas." The original cartoon version, not the Jim Carey remake. (Though that one is good, too, but it is a totally different experience from the original!) I have watched that movie so often I can quote it word-for-word, and sing every song note-for-note. My cell phone ring tone during December is, "You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch." It drives my husband crazy! All I have to do to get a rise out of him is start: "Every Who down in Whoville liked Christmas a lot. But the Grinch, who lived just north of Whoville, did not!" He rolls his eyes and covers his ears and shouts, "Stop! Stop! I can't take it anymore!" What would Christmas be if I couldn't quote the Grinch at my husband? :-)

You know why I like Christmas movies so much? Because they always -- always -- show people's heart's changing. Do you know what changes people's hearts? It's the selfless love of a Father who would send His only Son to die in order to save a world full of people in need. At Christmastime, we stop focusing on ourselves and look around, and we're not afraid to reach out a hand to someone else. That's God's love in action, and I like watching it happen. Yes, I know most movies are fiction, but sometimes fiction can open our eyes to see things, and people, we might not see otherwise.

Have a Merry Christmas!

---------------

Virginia Smith, author of the Sister-to-Sister Series, is about to celebrate the release of her tenth novel, Third Time's a Charm. Read about her books, and enter a Prize Bonanza Giveaway at www.VirginiaSmith.org

Abundance

I learned something the other day I think is interesting. In the Bible, the book of John describes Jesus' first recorded miracle -- turning water into wine. The apostle tells us that Jesus instructed the servants to fill six stone jars with water, and goes on to describe the jars. They were the kind used for ceremonial washing, and each one held between 20 and 30 gallons. It makes sense that there would be plenty of water for washing, since it was a big social gathering. So, let's do a bit of calculating. We'll be conservative in our estimates.

6 jugs x 20 gallons = 120 gallons of water

Now, I happen to know a winemaker who makes wine on a small scale. He tells me that one batch of wine is about 6 gallons, and from that, he gets around 30 bottles of wine. Back to the calculator.

120 gallons of water / 6 gallons = 20 batches

20 batches * 30 bottles = 600 bottles

Jesus gave that couple the equivalent of six hundred bottles of wine! Wow. Now, I think the number and size of the jugs were recorded in the Gospel of John for a reason. It's to illustrate a very simple point: when Jesus gives, He gives in abundance. No barely squeaking by with our Lord! He gives over and beyond our expectations. Don't you just love that about Him?

During this Christmas season when we give to others to celebrate the birth of the Christ child, may we remember the abundant generosity of our Savior.

---------------

Virginia Smith, author of the Sister-to-Sister Series, is about to celebrate the release of her tenth novel, Third Time's a Charm. Read about her books, and enter a Prize Bonanza Giveaway at www.VirginiaSmith.org

Friends with Tow Ropes

  
I've been over some pretty rugged terrain on life's road lately. At times during the past few months it seemed like there were more potholes than pavement on my road, and I needed some help to get out of a couple of them. It's a good thing I have friends who show up when I need them, tow ropes at the ready.

During one low spot not long ago, I talked to one of those friends on the phone. We stay in touch online with emails and Facebook, but we hadn’t really had a good heart-to-heart in a long time. I grabbed a cup of coffee on my end of the phone, found a comfy chair in my living room, and settled in for a long talk. Poor lady, she had no idea what she was letting herself in for when she innocently asked, “So, how are you doing?” Well, I told her. I unloaded!

She listened to me go on and on, questioning why some pretty devastating things had happened to me and those I love. There are no easy answers to questions like that, but my friend said all the right things, all the wisdom I already knew but needed to hear from her unique perspective. I hung up feeling a little brighter.

And then, a few days later, I got a package in the mail. It was a book from my friend. She told me this book had helped her through a difficult time, and she wanted to share it with me. What to Do on the Worst Day of Your Life is a really good, Bible-based book with ten practical steps to help you recover from the worst day of your life. Step number one is: “Weep.” Okay, I got that one down pat!

I won’t outline the ten steps here, but I’ll tell you it’s a book worth picking up. I’ll refer to What to Do on the Worst Day of Your Life again and again. But what I got the most from that book wasn’t in the content. It was in the gift.

When I opened the package, I was so touched that my friend had taken the time to listen to me, to pray for me, and then to follow up with something that helped her during her own pothole days. Do you know why she did that? Because she loves me.

I was struck anew with a truth that amazes and humbles me – God loves me, too. I really am His beloved child. Through all of the trials, and all of the tears, and all of the potholes in the road, He has been with me. Sometimes He has given me moments of great peace, that peace that passes all understanding. And His peace felt out of reach, He wrapped his arms around me and comforted me through my friend. And not just through her. Every time someone sends an email to tell me I’m in their prayers, that’s God loving me. Every time someone calls to check on how I’m doing, that’s God letting me know He remembers me, and knows what I’m going through. Every time someone sends a card with a note of encouragement, that’s my Father, telling me He understands.

We are the body of Christ. We hug with His arms, we comfort with His words, and we love with His love.

So if you see someone stuck in a pothole today, grab your tow rope and lend a hand. Be the body.

 

--------------

  Virginia Smith is the author of a dozen novels including Stuck in the Middle, which was a finalist for the 2009 American Christian Fiction Writers Book of the Year award, and A Taste of Murder, a finalist for the 2009 Daphne du Maurier Award of Excellence. Her next book, Third Time’s a Charm, will hit bookstores in January 2010. www.VirginiaSmith.org.

A New Song

Autumn is here! I don’t know about you, but I’m glad to put this summer behind me. It’s been a tough one. I’m probably a little unusual (okay – I’m a lot unusual!), but when I see the leaves start to turn from green to golden yellow, or rich orange, or brilliant red, I don’t think of them as dying. The vibrant colors of fall speak to me of maturity, and a new phase of life. The Creator has given the trees a new song to sing. Long months of drinking deeply of sunshine and rain are bursting forth in a glorious crescendo designed by God’s hand.

I’ve been thinking a lot about new songs lately. In Psalm 40, David talks about waiting patiently on the Lord, who lifts him out of the slimy pit and places a new song in his mouth. It’s a song of praise, a song born from gratitude for his redemption from the mud and mire. I’ve been splattered with a bit of mud myself in recent months, but like David, I’m singing a new song. My experiences have deepened the vibrant colors of this season of my life. God is good.

------

Virginia Smith (www.VirginiaSmith.org) left her profession in the corporate world with the release of her first novel, Just As I Am. Since then she's contracted eleven Christian novels, including Stuck in the Middle and Age before Beauty, and her newest release, Scent of Murder. She's counting the day until January and the arrival of the third book in the Sister-to-Sister Series, Third Times a Charm.

Rest for the Weary

July, August, and September are very busy for me. This week I’m wrapping up a six-week online writing course that has been intense – for me, the teacher, no less than for the eight students! I’m gearing up toward two conferences in September, with all the prep work that goes along with them. Plus, I’m in various stages of the editorial process with three novels. In other words, I’m busy! I’m sure your schedule is similarly jam-packed.

As I read my Bible this morning, I came across Mark chapter 6. The apostles had been out doing the Lord’s work, and apparently they’d been giving it all they had. They came back to report in to the Boss. Jesus listened to them talking about all they’d done, and then He told them to, “Come away with me to a quiet place and get some rest.” As I read those words, it felt like the Boss was saying them directly to me.

I don’t think He wasn’t saying, “Let’s go over here and have us a nap.” (Though there’s nothing wrong with a restful nap!) I think He was saying, “Hey, guys, you’ve worked hard. You’re tired, even though you might not realize it. Let’s get off by ourselves for a while and relax.” He knows that relaxing with friends and with Him is beneficial to our weary souls. It reduce stress, which causes so many health and emotional problems. In her Bible study, The Beloved Disciple, Beth Moore calls these mini-escapes “Sabbath moments,” brief times when we step outside the control of our day-timers and just relax in fellowship with God and His children. Sabbath moments do for the spirit and soul what a power-nap does for the body – gives us a respite from the stress, and a spiritual boost from the Lord.

Lately my Sabbath moments have included: a trip up into the mountains for a hike and a picnic with my husband; a movie with my daughter (Have you seen “Julia and Julie”? Loved it!); an evening outing to the zoo with some close friends to see a baby snow leopard and an adorable two-week-old giraffe. Times of rest and fellowship with others, where God is an acknowledged part of our bond. They leave me rested and energized. I’m telling you, they’re better than a nap followed by a Café Mocha with a double shot of espresso!

I hope you can make time to answer Jesus’s invitation to come away with Him for some rest. Enjoy a Sabbath moment.

------

Virginia Smith (www.VirginiaSmith.org) left her profession in the corporate world with the releae of her first novel, Just As I Am. Since then she's contracted eleven Christian novels, including Stuck in the Middle and Age before Beauty, and her newest release, Scent of Murder.

Supernatural Peace

My husband and I have recently gone through some stressful times. To begin with, he was injured in a motorcycle accident. Nothing life-threatening, thank the Lord, but we didn't know that at first. We spent five hours in the emergency room waiting for CAT scans and X-rays and so on. There's nothing quite as stressful as long hours in the hospital ER when the threat of emergency brain surgery looms like a dark cloud over someone you love.


The hospital released my husband that night. We arrived home after dark, and walked through the door to find our house had been broken into. Our belongings lay in piles all over the floors, every drawer upended, closets ransacked. The thieves had stolen jewelry, financial documents, checks, credit cards, passports, and any portable electronic they could get their hands on including my laptop. (I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that my laptop holds a digital record of my life as a writer!) A week later, I still found myself reaching for something and realizing it was gone, which brought back the sense of violation all over again.


And then, to add insult to injury, twelve days later the thieves returned. Yep - they hit our house again, and the second time they got into our safe. Among the items they stole the second time was an expensive, irreplacable heirloom ring belonging to my great-grandmother. That hurt.


Now, either of these situations on their own would be a major stress inducer. The first two occurring in a single day is enough to send someone into a panic attack, or at least cause facial tics. The third was just painful. You know when Jesus told us to turn the other cheek? I kept thinking, "I'm running out of cheeks, Lord."


The amazing thing is that I haven’t been anxious. I was concerned for my husband, of course, but I wasn’t anxious. I knew God would take care of him. And I’m angry with the thieves who violated my home, but I’m not asking for tranquilizers to help me cope. I mourned the loss of my possessions, especially the heirloom, but I'm not anxious. In fact, through everything, I’ve remained calm. Amazingly calm. Supernaturally calm. People have even commented on it. “You’re certainly taking this well,” a friend said, with a touch of admiration in her voice. “I’d be a basket case.”


I’ve felt this sense of calm before, and I recognize the Source. It’s nothing I can pat myself on the back for – it’s a gift from my Savior. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you,” Jesus said. The apostle Paul called it the peace that transcends all understanding, and we have it at our disposal because Jesus gave it to us. When circumstances are so troubling that we might be tempted to go sit in a corner and suck our thumbs, we can breathe easy because of the divine gift of peace. We can trust Him in even the most worrisome circumstances, because Jesus also said, “I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” When I really need Him, when the big things happen, Jesus steps in with an extra helping of His supernatural peace.


You know what? He’ll step into our less troubling circumstances, too. I tend to forget that when the little stressers happen. But this situation has served as a divine reminder. If He can keep me calm in the midst of overwhelming tragedy, He’ll do the same when I’ve misplaced my car keys. There’s no need to freak out. He has overcome the world!


As an aside, if you ride a motorcycle, I hope you are properly outfitted with protective clothing. In this case, a helmet saved my husband’s life. For my thoughts on protective clothing, read my Journal entry from last year here.

 

------

Virginia Smith (www.VirginiaSmith.org) left her profession in the corporate world with the releae of her first novel, Just As I Am. Since then she's contracted eleven Christian novels, including Stuck in the Middle and Age before Beauty, and her newest release, Scent of Murder.

The Last Supper - The Bread

I'm preparing a talk to deliver at my church's Wednesday night communion service, so I decided to take a look at the account of the Last Supper for inspiration. From there, I did a little research about the Passover Seder meal, and discovered some cool things I didn’t know before. For instance ...

There are actually 3 loaves of bread included in the Seder meal. They sit in the center of the table as the people eat bitter herbs dipped in salt water to remind them of the bitterness and tears their ancestors suffered in slavery in Egypt. The leader breaks the first loaf, and then places half of it back on the table. The other part becomes what’s called the Afikomen.

Here’s the part I didn’t know. They take the Afikomen away from the table and hide it. Then after supper the children hunt for it, kind of like a treasure hunt. The child who finds it gets a special prize.

At my sister’s house, Santa Claus doesn’t leave gifts under the tree. Instead, he leaves a written clue. All the kids read the clue, written by Santa’s own hand, and answer a riddle, and that leads them to the next clue. This goes on for some time, an elaborate scavenger hunt that builds in intensity and excitement as the children get closer and closer. Finally, they follow the last clue and find their piles of gifts. What a fun tradition! I picture the search for the Afikomen like that, with children running and searching and squealing with laughter.

One thing occurred to me as I read about the treasure hunt for the Afikomen. Jesus identified Himself as the bread of life. And of course He instructed us to come to Him as a little child. How cool to think of myself searching for Him with as much excitement as a Jewish child searching for the Afikomen. I follow the clues laid out in the Bible and written on my heart by God’s own hand, my enthusiasm building as I uncover each one that draws me closer and closer to Him. And when I find Him – ah, what treasure is mine!

 

Enjoy your search, my friends. May it lead to treasures beyond your imagination!

------

Virginia Smith (www.VirginiaSmith.org) left her profession in the corporate world with the releae of her first novel, Just As I Am. Since then she's contracted eleven Christian novels, including Stuck in the Middle and Age before Beauty, and her newest release, Scent of Murder.

Inspiring? YEAH!

Last Sunday, a church in Lexington, Kentucky hosted a special speaker. My stepson and daughter-in-law attend that church regularly, and they called after church to tell us, "We're bringing a video for you to watch. This guy is amazing. In the second service alone, 300 people gave their lives to Christ." 

The speaker was a man named NickVujicic. I'd never heard of him, so it was something of a surprise when I saw the cover of the video. Nick's ministry is called Life Without Limbs which is appropriate because Nick was born with no arms and no legs. His story is inspiring for several reasons. First, because he obviously doesn't consider himself disabled. The man swims and boats and, basically, does whatever he wants because he refuses to accept the physical limits that some would buckle under.

But the Verve (which is the title of the DVD I watched) with which Nick approaches life is only a small part of what I found inspiring. And I don't think that's what sent 300 people down the aisle to accept the Savior. You see, Nick has found his mission in life, and that is to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ openly, freely, unashamedly, loudly, and without compromise. His message that God has a plan for each one of us has such impact, perhaps, because he delivers it while perched atop a table on a stage, emphasizing his points with his shoulders where others might use hands. But listening to his enthusiasm, his passion, I knew he would be just as enthusiastic, just as persuasive, if he had arms and legs.

By the conclusion of his talk, I was envious of this man without limbs. He's not disabled - I am. Why else am I not putting myself out there like he is, shouting at the top of my lungs to a lost and dying world that Jesus offers the life they long for?

Here's a short video of Nick. Prepare to be inspired!

------

Virginia Smith (www.VirginiaSmith.org) left her profession in the corporate world with the releae of her first novel, Just As I Am. Since then she's contracted eleven Christian novels, including Stuck in the Middle and Age before Beauty, and her newest release, Scent of Murder. To see pictures from her recent research experience working in a zoo, visit Ginny's Journal.

God's Answer to H1N1: Fear not!

Our church was packed Sunday morning. Communion Sundays aren't typically that well-attended, for a variety of reasons, but that day the sanctuary overflowed. I sat there during the Prelude, mentally listing the possible reasons people would gather en masse the Sunday after several area schools have been closed and students encouraged not to congregate due to a few confirmed cases of Swine Flu. Then it hit me – it's because of the virus scare! Where do people turn when they're anxious? They turn to God, and to His representatives here on earth, His church.


It is so easy to get swept up in the panic that surrounds us. We live in a world full of fearful things. War. Terrorists. Unemployment. The threat of financial ruin. Changes in our society. And yes, the H1N1 Flu virus. Yet the Bible urges time and again to, “Fear not!” Our Father is the Creator of the universe, and He loves us. As children of the King, we have a secret weapon against anything that threatens our peace and wellbeing: the love of the One who has promised never to leave us, never to forsake us.


The living Word of God tells us exactly what to do in times like these, when the circumstances around us are so frightening: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)


As Christians we represent Jesus, who calmed storms with a word. Shouldn’t people be able to see Him in us? As my pastor said in his sermon, “Christians are called to be non-anxious in anxious times. We’re called to be peaceful in the midst of panic.”


How can we do that, when the situation around us is so frightening? We pray. We trust God to be faithful to His Word. We fix our eyes on Jesus. Then, when the world looks at us, they’ll see His peace reflected in our lives.

------

Virginia Smith (www.VirginiaSmith.org) left her profession in the corporate world with the releae of her first novel, Just As I Am. Since then she's contracted eleven Christian novels, including Stuck in the Middle and Age before Beauty, and her newest release, Scent of Murder. To see pictures from her recent research experience working in a zoo, visit Ginny's Journal.