Labels: Suzie Thomas

Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to His temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come, says the Lord God Almighty. Malachi 3:1b

It was the Christmas season, and our younger son, still a pre-schooler, was spending the afternoon at Grandma's house. Now, Grandma's house is always beautifully decorated, but at Christmastime, it is nothing short of magical. An array of greens, poinsettias, and wreaths; the Christmas tree done up in a color-coordinated theme; carved, wooden Santa's of every shape and size; the warm aroma of cookies baking; yes, there is nothing like Grandma's house at Christmas. And in the living room-proudly showcased along the mantel top-stood a display of her prized, hand-carved creche figures, posed into an artistic Nativity scene. Our little guy felt quite at home as he wandered from room to room in wide-eyed wonderment. But that manger scene! Oh, that manger scene!

Hours later, after he had gone home, a quick survey of the house revealed that someone had done a little decorating of his own. In fact, he had somehow climbed to the top of the fireplace and completely re-arranged the Nativity! The imported, hand-carved figures, once perfectly posed just so, were now bunched together into a huddle, as if strategically planning their next big play. The Christ child that Grandma had carefully placed in the center, was now completely hidden by the swarm of figurines. Puzzled, but undaunted, she made it right again, re-posing the scene for optimum dramatic effect.

But his next visit produced the same outcome: shepherds, wise men, angels, and livestock all massed together into one big group hug. Time and time again. After each succeeding visit, the manger scene required reassembling.

She just had to ask. "Something tells me you don't like the way I arrange that manger scene!"

"But Grandma!" he responded, "They just want to see the Baby!"

And there it was. He had it right. Just how the real manger scene must have looked. Everyone excitedly crowding in-not posed for a mantel or greeting card-everyone just wanting to get a good look at that Baby.

Lord, may this Christmas be our greatest desire to see Him too. Amen

Suzie Thomas

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For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16 NIV

Have you ever had someone tell you,"all roads lead to Heaven." I even have a friend who says that surely God is smart enough to make more than one way.

Well.I just returned from a vacation where it took a total of six flights to get to where we were going and back. And every single time before takeoff, the flight attendant reviewed all of the safety precautions. And every single time, we were told that in case of an emergency, a light along the floor would show us the way to escape. Just follow the path.

And do you know - not one person questioned it. No one argued - what if I don't want to follow that particular path? Surely the builders of this plane were smart enough to create more than one way out. No -- we all accepted it -- gratefully.

Well - there is an emergency -- it's called our sinful condition. And our Father God loves us so much that He created a way of escape in the person of Jesus Christ - The Way, The Truth, and The Life.

Lord, show me the sin in my life, show me the way that I need to go, so that my sins will be forgiven and will lead me to eternity. Amen

Suzie Thomas

Labels: Suzie Thomas

Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because wickedness has come up before Me. Bury Jonah ran away. Jonah 1:2-3a NIV

Let's think for a minute about Jonah. Here was a guy called by God to deliver a message of life and death. He chickened out. And a whole string of disasters followed: The storm at sea, being thrown overboard, and -- just maybe -- making the mistake of asking, "What else could possibly go wrong?" And then . along comes this fish...

But just as it looked like all was lost, Jonah prayed. From the cold, dark entrails of some great sea creature headed for the vast, watery who-knows-where, he surrendered his helpless situation into the loving hands of Almighty God. And in that very instant, the great fish - the terror of the deep, - was transformed into the perfect vessel to carry Jonah straight to the where he was supposed to be in the first place - safe and sound.

What's your disaster? God is able to transform it into a vessel to carry you safely to that perfect place as well.

Help me to be obedient and not fearful. Lead me Lord. Amen

Suzie Thomas

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If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 NIV

When I was a little girl, my dad told me that I'd had enough bubble gum for one day. I disagreed and - when he wasn't looking - helped myself to another piece. How could he possibly know - I figured - if I just stay out of sight? Well -one out of control bubble and you can guess what a mess of evidence was stuck in my hair.

But my dad was a genius at making the most of a teachable moment -- he asked me if I had disobeyed him. What else could I say; I was as guilty as sin -- I could only confess -- yes. And then he said the words I'll remember all my life - "Because you told me the truth, I'm not going to punish you."

Mmm. Saved by grace.

We have a Heavenly Dad who knows exactly what we've done, too. And He says, when we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. How will you respond to His saving grace today?

Father, please help me to be honest and tell you exactly what I have done so that I can be forgiven. Amen

Suzie Thomas

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Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? Matthew 7:3 (NIV)

As women, we can be pretty quick to criticize.

It reminds me of the time we went to the amusement park with our cousins. We all piled into the runaway mine ride - kind of like a roller coaster that ended up splashing you in a lake. My mom and uncle were a couple of cars ahead of us, and on the first hill, my uncle's hat blew off. Well, mom was having a great time with that one - she laughed and pointed - "Look Bob - there's your hat - floating in the lake!"

And then the unthinkable happened. We went down another hill - only this time - my mom's WIG blew off. That's right. Landing in the lap of a total stranger like some dead animal.

Jesus so wisely taught, "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own?"

Our own downfalls can be way more embarrassing than our brother's, or our sister's. Let's show each other . a little grace today.

Show me Lord to take care of my own problems before I worry about someone else's. Amen

Suzie Thomas

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Trust in the Lord with all your heart -- and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5

My husband and I have a tandem - you know, a bicycle built for two.

It took a few tries, but we did come up with a game plan that keeps us from falling over: Jim's in front - I'm in back. He has a handle bar for steering - mine is mostly for hanging on. I do have one little hand break - I guess for some free will; but Jim's breaks will really stop us from going somewhere we don't want to go.

Doesn't this sound like our relationship with God? When we give Him our lives, it's like we hop on a bicycle built for two and go for a ride.

He's in the lead - it's my job to trust and follow.

His handle bars do the steering - I just have to hang on.

And when He puts on the breaks, I can also trust that it was to keep me from going somewhere I really wouldn't want to go.

Enjoy the ride!

Oh Lord, help me to trust you and to know You know what is best! Amen

Suzie Thomas

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Give thanks in all circumstances for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18

I just finished reading a book about the Titanic. Did you know that moments before its maiden voyage, the Titanic almost collided with another ship - the City of New York - while they were both still docked? Now - what if that would have happened? Disgruntled travelers. Reputations damaged. A blot on the record of the White Star Cruise Line. And no one ever would have known the coming tragedy that they had just been rescued from. Oh - if only the New York and the Titanic could have collided that day!

It makes me wonder - in those times when I have crashed, so to speak - when things have not gone according to plan. When I have been stopped before I even began - what greater calamity has God rescued me from?

The Bible tells us to praise Him in every circumstance. How comforting to know that the hardship He allows is also for our benefit - maybe even protecting us from a much greater hardship - one of Titanic proportions.

Lord, help me to trust and give thanks in all things. I know You are there with me always. Amen

Suzie Thomas

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Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. Matthew 12:33-35 (NIV)

So a friend of mine was helping us replace the big water jug in our cooler at work, and I don't know what happened, but the poor guy bumped into something and, as he was trying to regain his balance, all of the water was just spilling everywhere.

I know - we should have helped him, but we were too busy... laughing. The whole scene reminds me of a lesson I learned long ago: you can tell what’s inside of something - or someone - by what spills out when it gets bumped.

Oh, It's easy to gush with kindness in the good times. But when the trials come - when we get rubbed the wrong way - when we get bumped - then what is REALLY inside of us is what spills out.

The Bible says that "out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks."

Sometimes our testimony is far more powerful: not when everything all goes so right ...but when we get bumped, and somehow a kindness still manages to spill out.

Father, fill our hearts with You.

Suzie Thomas

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We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. Romans 12:6a

Not to sound immodest, but I believe I have never felt more beautiful in my life. I was five years old and, after months of lessons, was ready to perform in my first ballet recital. To everyone else, we were the beginners' class of Martha Galvin's Dance Studio, all decked out in our brand new tutus, loaded with sequins and nylon net ruffles. But we knew differently. We were really delicate flowers in a Japanese garden. All of those long, painful hours of obeying our instructor's voice, "plie ... jete... arabesque... and again." had prepared us for this one big night.

In the audience patiently sat my parents, enduring hours and hours of other people's children performing their dance routines. At long last, our little group of Japanese flowers was led on stage. And let me tell you: we plied, jeted, and arabesqued our little Japanese flower hearts out. We were in the zone. Our efforts were not lost on the audience; we were rewarded with thunderous applause. It's a fun memory.

Afterward, dozens of aspiring ballerinas each made a beeline to the most important people in the audience, their own moms and dads, crying out in one voice, "Did you see me?"

Now, as a mom myself, I think this might be my favorite part of the parent-child relationship. The parent gives a gift to delight the child. In turn, the child uses the gift to delight the parent. It never fails. Give him a new paint set and he'll create a masterpiece for your refrigerator. Give her ballet lessons and she'll dance just for you.

It is God's very nature to give. He delights in it. And when we, His children, use those gifts to serve and please Him, He delights in that as well. Are you using the gifts that He gave you to delight Him today?

Suzie Thomas

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I don't have the best home filing system in the world, but it works for me. Part of my system includes a 'to be shredded' bag. You know- just doing my part to prevent identity theft, and all. So last spring at income tax time, I thought it might be a good idea to go through the 'to be shredded' bag, just in case something important had inadvertently found its way there. I dug into the distasteful chore of sorting through old trash.

"Are you sure you feel like going through that garbage?" my husband asked.

"I'm pretty sure I don't," I told him, "but maybe I should."

Sure enough, something that looked like it might fall under the category of health expenses "Explanation of Benefits" seemed suspect. I may need those, I thought. To be honest, I hadn't opened most of them. With the large, bold type reading,"not a bill" across the top, why bother? I opened the first EOB statement, only to discover something a tad out of the ordinary. A reimbursement check for something like $12 was attached. I opened another -- $6 this time. And another for $20. When all was said and done, I had rescued $122.61 from the shredder. Thankfully, none of them had expired.

This journey called life can lead us down some difficult paths. Let's be real; we all go through "garbage" every once in awhile. Garbage that, if given the choice, we would really rather not go through. But maybe we should. Some days we cry out to God, asking Him why He would ever allow us to go through it. Maybe you're even going through some today. But look again. Perhaps that garbage you're going through is really $122.61.

Is God trying to bless you in the midst of 'garbage' today?

Lord, please help me to be able to know if what I think is garbage in my life is actually something of value that You've put there. Give me wisdom to see things clearly for what they truly are. Amen

Suzie Thomas

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To me, the story of Jonah is the perfect illustration of how God is able to take a disastrous situation and turn it around 180 degrees. Imagine the honor of being divinely chosen to deliver a life-or-death message. Imagine chickening out. And imagine trying to survive the string of disasters that resulted.

First, there was the violent storm at sea, followed by the humiliation of being singled out as the one responsible. Then there was the inevitable yelling, the pointing, the clamoring to apprehend the culprit. And in the midst of being hurled overboard toward the raging waters, perhaps there was also the mistake of asking, "What else could possibly go wrong?" I can picture Jonah gulping for breath, struggling to tread water, desperately trying to summon the strength to make it to shore. And along comes this fish...

Now, I have to admit, if I were he, I would have thought this was the end. I have seen Jaws; being swallowed by a large creature is never a good thing. However, just as it appeared that all was lost, Jonah did what so many do as a last resort. He prayed. From the cold, dark entrails of some great sea creature headed for the vast, watery who-knows-where, he cried out to the Lord, surrendering his hopeless situation to the loving hands of Almighty God. And in that very instant, the great fish - the terror of the deep, the disaster to end all disasters - became the perfect vessel to carry Jonah safely to the exact destination that had been God's plan for him from the beginning.

Father, sometimes I do feel hopeless and fearful, but God please help me to be obedient and go forth trusting You as I try to serve You. Amen

Suzie Thomas

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There I was, a stay-at-home mom with my toddler and preschooler. Hmmm where to start? Laundry, housework, cooking, that sink full of dishes? 8:00 a.m. and I was already worn out. My older son was first to finish breakfast, tearing out of the kitchen and diving into a day of fun with great gusto. The younger-almost old enough to graduate from his high chair, lingered awhile longer over a bowl of oatmeal just as the phone rang from the other room. Ah, yes...the perfect chaotic touch to an already chaotic morning. I quickly ended the call and returned to the kitchen. I had been gone for less than a minute.

Oatmeal was everywhere! After painting his face and hair, my little guy had progressed to covering the high chair, pajamas, walls, ceiling- I did not think there was that much in the bowl! He'd had quite a time splattering the entire room with the sticky stuff. And to think that, only moments ago, I had been concerned about a few dirty dishes calling my name! Now my kitchen looked like an oatmeal factory had exploded.

But he just looked at me, smiled his cherub smile, and began to sing at the top of his lungs. "Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so"

Grace. God's indescribable, powerful, unmerited, saving grace. A little boy's simple song was just the reminder I needed. It was the song of one confident in the fact that, even though he had made a mess of things, he was loved.

What a nice, gentle reminder that in the middle of life's messes-large and small-Jesus loves me, too. This I know. For the Bible tells me so. I reached for a sponge and went to work, somehow renewed.

Lord, thank you that when my mind becomes so full from life, You are always there, reminding me that Jesus loves me! Amen

Suzie Thomas

Labels: Suzie Thomas

Labels: Suzie Thomas