Christmas is near. The stores are filled with people hustling and bustling to the accompaniment of joyful holiday music. As I mingle amongst my fellow shoppers, I wonder how many of them are hurting inside this Christmas. If you have lost a loved one or you don’t have the big, happy family portrayed in the seasonal movies, then you are not alone. Those holiday songs have the potential to cause you to be melancholy rather than merry. Sleigh bells jingling—bells are ringing—people singing—no escaping—fa la la. How do we get through this?   Stop and listen. Can you hear the baby crying in the manger? If not, take a moment, open your Bible and read Luke chapter 2. Then sit back and focus on the true meaning of Christmas. Dwell not on who you lost, but on who you gained when God sent His Son. His gift to us makes it possible to see our loved ones again in Heaven. His unfailing love, His sacrifice, and His power over death are the greatest gifts of all. How can we not give Him the glory at Christmas? In fact, it is a gift exchange. We may not feel joyous, but if we praise Him anyway—give Him our sacrifice of praise, adoration and worship, He will fill us with hope, comfort and peace. Glory to Him—gladness for us. The Christmas carols we sing that celebrate the birth of Christ fill our hearts with the love that came down so long ago. Our Savior is truly the reason for the season and He is worthy of our adoration and praise. Fix your eyes on Jesus this Christmas. He offers hope from the manger. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 (NLT)

NEVER TOO OLD

 Even in old age [the godly] will still produce fruit. Psalm 92:14a (NLT)

The choir began to sing the Doxology while a small, elderly woman approached the microphone with trepidation. Was she really going to sing a special vocal with the choir? She appeared to have a nervous expression on her face and I wondered if she was having second thoughts. Some people may have questioned what contribution a little old lady could make to the service. But right on cue, she chimed into the chorus with a rendition of hallelujahs that sounded like she was a member of a group of melodious angels. Her facial countenance lit up with a smile. It was as if she could see the doors of Heaven open and she was singing directly to the King of Kings. She anointed His feet with her gift. The entire crowd gave her a standing ovation for the beautiful offering of praise they had just witnessed.

 What a reminder that a heart full of love and devotion to the Savior comes forth as beauty to the beholder. We are never too old to give praises to our Redeemer!

Luan Louis

BEYOND THE STARS

In Him lie all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”  Colossians 2:3 (NLT)

The Hubble telescope is an amazing feat of humans to observe and discover the unknown as it searches for the origin of the universe.  We recently had the opportunity to visit theNationalMuseumof the United States Air Force and view the documentary that illustrates the power of the Hubble. The IMAX Theater displays the images with such clarity that you feel yourself propel through space and witness the intricacy of solar systems.

Shimmering stars—expanding galaxies—luminous nebulae—the telescope demonstrates the fearsome awe of a creator so powerful that our human minds cannot comprehend. He allows man to see and appreciate the wonders of His creation, but to search for answers through a telescope regarding its origin is moot. He supplies the answers to the mysteries of creation in His Word. “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth . . . And God said, ‘Let bright lights appear in the sky to separate the day from the night. They will be signs to mark off the seasons, the days, and the years.’ And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also.” Genesis 1:1, 14, 16 (NLT)

The Hubble telescope searches for answers which God has already provided. Seek Him first and the complexity of it all becomes simplicity.

© 2012 by Luan Louis

WEED-WHACKERS AND LEAF BLOWERS

“Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.” James 5:1 (NKJV)

My three year old grandson’s eyes lit up when Santa found a present in his sack with the name, Isaac, on it. He was glad Santa had thought to bring something for him to his great-aunt’s house, but as Santa was stepping out the door on the way back to his sleigh, Isaac ran hurriedly to remind him to bring a weed-whacker and leaf blower for Christmas. It may sound odd that a three year old would ask for such items as those instead of one of the popular toys out that season until you understand why such gifts would be at the top of his list.

My son, Jim, is a hard working man but always has time to spend with his son.  Isaac follows him wherever he goes and emulates whatever he does. If Jim is chopping wood, Isaac “chops wood” too. He even has the three year old version of a chainsaw and truck so he can be a big help to Dad. Isaac thinks the sun rises and sets on his Dad, and Jim thinks the same about Isaac. They are quite a pair. In the Summer, Jim uses a weed-whacker and in the Fall he uses the leaf blower. So you can see why Isaac would ask for those items for Christmas. He wants to be just like his dad.

We have an Abba-Father in Heaven who craves that kind of devotion from us. We should desire to spend time with Him in His Word every day. It is the living Word and we can know God better by quieting our hearts so His message can be heard. He loves us and wants us to come to Him. He has already made available the gifts that will help us become more like Jesus. The greatest gifts we can ask for are salvation and the filling of His Holy Spirit so we can have the mind of Christ. Jesus lived a life of love and compassion. He knows us each by name and is pleased when we follow Him.

Just like a three year old yearns to walk in his father’s footsteps, we should strive daily to be imitators of Christ.

© 2011 by Luan Louis

BECAUSE

Because of His amazing grace

I’ll see my Savior face to face

When thru death I leave this place;

Yes, I can face tomorrow.

Because of His redeeming love

I’ll rise to live with Him above,

Soaring as a peaceful dove

Where there will be no sorrow.

Because He holds my future there,

There is no need for my despair.

A Heavenly home with Him I’ll share.

Praise God!  I see the rainbow!

HE NEVER CHANGES

 “But You are always the same; your years never end.” Psalm 102:27 (NLT)

     Last weekend I had the privilege of stepping back in time as I took my husband to see the Illinois homestead where I lived until the age of 10. We traveled to Iowa for a meeting Dave attended and planned our return route with a stop to see my cousins in Illinois. It had been 17 years or so since I had been there, so the excitement mounted as we neared my childhood home. It surprised me how many landmarks I remembered from my early youth. The gravel road with its twists and turns seemed the same, although the old farmhouse at one corner was gone with a new one in its place, and the old plank bridge was now a sturdier model. As we ascended the hill, I recalled the many climbs up that hill on the school bus, and also the time our dog got too close to the car tires as we were on our way to church. But at the crest of the hill, I was dismayed to see that the beautiful old barn was gone and had been replaced with two blue silos. A little further down the road was the house where I shared an attic type bedroom with my sister. I still bear the scar on my arm from sliding through a glass pane of the family room door after the floor had been waxed. That house was where I sat alone in my dad’s desk chair one morning as a 6 yr. old and asked Jesus to come into my heart. But as we drew nearer, I barely recognized it. The house was partially obscured by the large trees that had grown to maturity. The siding was white rather than the black and gray shingle siding I remembered. A deck had been added at the front door and the large storage garage at the side of the househad been replaced by a small tool shed. The house of my memories had changed dramatically.

     As I pondered the differences between then and now, I recalled that there is One that never changes. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:9) In this life of certain upgrades, downsizes and remodels, we can cling to the constancy of God. It is a comfort to remember that the same God who created the world and who heard the simple salvation prayer of a little girl is the same God who will hold my hand as He ushers me into His Kingdom. You can depend on the truth that He never changes.

  ©Luan Louis 2011

 WHY CRY WHEN YOU CAN LAUGH?

 “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.”   Proverbs 17:22 (NLT)

My late husband, Jeff, lived many years with several chronic maladies and endured a multitude of procedures.  He always found the humor in the situation with descriptions such as, “having an enema with a fire hose” and “getting the umbrella treatment” to open a stricture.  So it was only natural that over the years we were attuned to each other’s sense of humor.

Necessity dictated that we travel to the Mayo Clinic inRochester,Minnesotafor a second hip replacement surgery. It was a twelve-hour drive for us.  All went well; he was discharged and we began the long journey home.  Jeff was 6’2” tall, so we had some difficulty folding him into my Chevy Impala without bending his new hip in the wrong direction, but we managed to get him moderately comfortable for the trip.  The original plan was to drive halfway and stop for the night.  He did not relish the idea of trying to maneuver in a motel with his walker, so he convinced me to keep driving.  We did, however, stop to use restroom facilities at a McDonalds.  This was our first experience needing a handicapped restroom.  I helped unfold him out of the car, unloaded his walker and he hobbled in at a slow pace.  As we made our way between the booths, we heard the clickety-clack, clickety-clack of a walker behind us. The man and his walker pushed around us on his way to the restroom.  Jeff and I stopped and looked at each other in disbelief before we erupted into laughter.  We never imagined that Jeff would have to enter a race to get to the handicapped restroom!

This experience reminded me of how often we rush to our daily destinations not considering the people we pass along the way, or the special blessings God may have provided for that day.  It reminds me now of the way Jeff coped amidst difficulties.  Meeting hindrances with humor kept his focus on the higher hope of God rather than on himself.  Laughter really is good medicine for the soul.

© Luan Louis

GET MOVING!

Exodus 13:15 “Why are you crying out to me? . . .get moving!”

After the Lord led the Israelites out of Egypt, He told them to camp beside the Red Sea.  But they were dismayed when the Egyptian army could be seen in the distance chasing after them.  The people panicked and blamed Moses for this predicament.  While Moses was trying his best to pacify this unruly mob, God told him it was time to quit talking and get moving!  God parted the Red Sea and turned the seabed into dry ground for the Israelites to safely walk across.  When they reached the other side, God let the waters rush back over the Egyptians who were close behind in pursuit.

I struggled with a decision about spending the money to attend a Christian writer’s conference.  While Satan whispered in my ear that I wasn’t proficient enough in my writing to attend and that it was too expensive, God provided the money and encouragement.  I prayed about it and He answered through the story of the Red Sea.

God had a plan for the Israelites that day that they were not aware of.  Today God also has a plan for us, and it is important to pray about it, but then it is time to step out in faith and “get moving.”

Luan Louis 2011

Today would have been my dad’s 96th birthday. He was a man of strong faith and integrity who passed away from Alzheimer’s in 2004. I wrote the following poem during the midst of his illness and am posting it here today in memory of him.

        VALIANT LOVE

A MAN OF GOD, HE LIVED HIS FAITH

FOR ALL THE WORLD TO SEE.

VIBRANT, STRONG AND FULL OF LIFE;

HOW HAS THIS COME TO BE??

HIS MIND IS IN ANOTHER WORLD,

A CAPTIVE OF DISEASE.

HE KNOWS NOT TIME OR PLACE,

OH LORD, SHOW MERCY, PLEASE.

AS I DAILY PRAYED THAT HE

WOULD SEE GOD’S ANGEL NEAR,

TO COMFORT AND ASSURE HIM

THAT JESUS HOLDS HIM DEAR,

IT SUDDENLY OCCURRED TO ME

SHE’S BEEN THERE ALL ALONG.

LOVING, CARING, TOUCHING,

EVEN SINGING HIM A SONG.

SHE HOLDS HIS HAND AND FEEDS HIM.

SHE SAYS HE’S STILL HER MAN.

SHE HAS NOT GIVEN UP ON HIM,

BUT BEEN THERE ALL SHE CAN.

SHE IS THE ANGEL GOD HAS SENT!

IN LOVE SHE HOLDS HIS HANDS.

AND NOW AND THEN HE SAYS A WORD

TO SHOW HE UNDERSTANDS.

MY DAD WILL BE WITH GOD SOMEDAY,

OF THIS I HAVE NO FEARS.

MY MOM WILL BE HIS ANGEL

TILL IN HEAVEN HE APPEARS.

         ©Luan Henschen Louis

CHASING BUTTERFLIES

“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.” Matthew 6:33 (NIV)

The giggling was such a happy sound as my two year old grandson chased the fluttering butterflies through the field.  He relentlessly followed them thinking that surely with one more step he would catch one, only to see it fly out of reach.

It reminded me of times that we adults chase after things of this world that we think will lead to happiness.  For some it is money or power.  For others it is beauty or fame.  Still others seek possessions to quench their thirst for contentment.

But happiness is beyond our reach if we pursue it through these temporal things.  Only a relationship with Jesus Christ can bring true joy and satisfaction.  This is a readily attainable goal.  In fact He offers it to us freely—we need only to accept it.  In     Matthew 7:7 Jesus said, “Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you.” Seek Him through His Word daily and He offers the joy of salvation as well as inner peace.

So stop wearing yourself out chasing those “elusive butterflies”.  Search for the source of eternal joy and accept that which is within your reach—salvation through Jesus