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1 Cor 9:24 Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win!
One of the things I love about running is that I am competing against myself. I try to be a little faster, a little better with each race. Yes, there is one overall winner, but there are also category winners (for each gender and age category), and, ultimately, if I improve from one race to the next, I definitely consider it a win. I think there are lessons in this attitude for my faith “race” as well.
Phil 3:14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.
Some runs, some races, are just bad. Sometimes my legs feel leaden, my breathing is labored, my celebration is in finishing the run and nothing else. Some days are like that, too. I get to the end and am just thankful I survived, I did it, and I can try again tomorrow. God is good like that. He wants me to keep pressing on toward Him. 
2 Tim 1:9 For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was His plan from before the beginning of time—to show us His grace through Christ Jesus.
Lord, Thank You for this day and for Your saving grace, mercy, and love. Thank You for those days where I feel like my light is on point, like all those who see me can’t help but see You through me. And thank You for those days where just surviving is a victory. Help me to remember that it is always You holding me together. You are my light and my hope. Draw me closer. Amen.
Heb 12:2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith….
Have a blessed day.

Luke 3:8 Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor;’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham.
Again today’s readings bring me back to the idea of bearing fruit. Again I see in my mind’s eye the image of the two vibrant fuchsia buds from my Christmas cactus lying futilely on the dark countertop, their promise destroyed. When I read this scripture today, it put me in mind of folks who revel in their glory days instead of continuing to do great things. Like the memories of riotous blooms in the past, which do nothing to revive the fallen buds, sometimes it is easy to slip into habits of memory instead of action. 
Luke 3:10-11 And the crowds asked him, “What then should we do?” In reply he said to them, “Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.”
Here is the pressing lesson that I take from today’s musings—I must, every day, seek to glorify my Lord and Savior. I can’t rest on my laurels—yesterday, last week, last year, I did this great thing for God. Each morning, my thought should be, “What can I do today, right now, to glorify my Lord and to shine His light, to comfort His people?”
Luke 3:15 The people were waiting expectantly and were wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Messiah.
Lord, Thank You for this day and for revealing Yourself as the Messiah. Thank You for this season of expectant waiting and for the reminder that every day I need to seek to glorify You, to shine Your light. Help me, never, to underestimate the power of Your light within me. Help me, always, to draw closer to You. Amen.
Jeremiah 29:13 You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.
Have a blessed day.

John 15:16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last….
I have a Christmas cactus in the back of my classroom. Most of the time, it is extraordinarily plain to look at, but at this time of year, it is breathtaking. Bright fuchsia buds are abundant. I moved the plant to a very prominent place just so I could enjoy the riotous blooms. But when I walked in yesterday morning, two of the buds lay futilely on the counter, their promise never to be fulfilled.
John 15:5 I am the vine and you are the branches. The one who remains in Me, and I in Him, will bear much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing,
I’ve been reading about being fruitful the past several days during my devotional time, and those beautiful buds, now utterly without promise, put me in mind of those passages. When we remain connected to Christ, rooted in Him, our promise, our potential, can become a reality. We can bloom—in Him, through Him, because of Him. But if we lose our anchor in Him, we become like those buds—futile, potential that can never come to fruition.
Matt 13:21 But since he has no root, he remains for only a season. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for the scripture You have placed in my path, for these lessons on promise, fruitfulness, and futility. Help me, daily, to root myself deeply in Your word, Your truth, Your love. Help me to bear Your fruit in my life. Draw me closer. Amen.
Psalm 46:5 God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day.
Have a blessed day.

Luke 6:45a A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart….
We live in a world of judgement. People make snap judgments about you based on what you look like, what you wear, how you act, what you say. It is so automatic for most, this instant judgment based on perception, that we often no longer even realize we are doing it. It is just a part of who we are and how we assess people.
Luke 6:45b …and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up on his heart.
And I’d wager that most of us think we are pretty good at it—assessing, judging, based on a handful of factors. As I type this, I feel the weight of my own judgment—how often am I guilty of this very thing? Far too often. So it is high time I turn the mirror on myself, look at my own words, specifically, and see what they say about what’s in my heart. I pray my words show my deep love for my Savior, but I fear they will reveal how deeply embedded are the ways of this world in my life.
Luke 6:45c For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.
Lord, Thank You for this day and the reminder to pay attention to my words and select them carefully. Help me, today, to look honestly at what I say and how I say it, so that I can have a better sense of the state of my heart. Help me to use my words to glorify You, to point others to You, to shine Your light. Draw me closer to You with every word I speak, and help me draw others to You as well. Amen.
Proverbs 4:23 Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow springs of life.
Have a blessed day.

2 Cor 8:5 …They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us.
I am way more of a perfectionist than I care to admit. I just always want to be sure that whatever I do, it is absolutely as good as I can possibly make it. But to truly give myself “first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to” others means letting Him use me as He sees fit, and I know that my amazing Savior can work miracles through my messes. He doesn’t want my perfection. He wants all of me, even the things that fall (by my estimation) way short of the mark.
2 Cor 8:7 But since you excel in everything…. see that you also excel in this grace of giving.
God’s been working on my heart with this scripture for a while, and I am convinced that His message to me in this is to give Him everything, to hold nothing back, even the things I deem not good enough or not worthy of Him. He doesn’t just want my best. He doesn’t need my perfection. He wants all of me. Everything.
2 Cor 8:11 Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means.
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for urging me to hold nothing back from You and for using even the things I see as messes. Help me to give You my all, always, to hold nothing back, even if it doesn’t feel good enough. You want my whole heart, Lord. Help me to give it willingly. Draw me closer. Amen.
2 Cor 8:12 For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have.
Have a blessed day.

Isaiah 35:3 Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way….
Last night, we finally put up a Christmas tree. It is a little pre-lit “Charlie Brown” tree, as my oldest called it, but I see it as a light in the darkness, shining God’s love and mercy, heralding the good news of Christ’s birth.
Isaiah 35:4a …say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear….”
I’ve always loved the lights of a Christmas tree, and I am especially reminded of the light that led the wisemen to the newborn Savior. And the angel perched atop my tree, lovingly made by my mom so many years ago, is symbolic of the angel who appeared to the shepherds, telling them to fear not, for Christ was born.
Isaiah 35:4b “…your God will come…He will come to save you.”
Lord, Thank You for this day and for the hope of this advent season. Thank You for the ability to uplift and encourage others, and, in this season, for the light and hope of the Christmas tree and the encouragement I find in You. Draw us all closer to You as we wait in joyful hope for the coming of our Savior. Amen.
John 1:5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
Have a blessed day.

2 Peter 1:2 Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
Lord, I want Your grace and peace in abundance in my life. Thank You for the knowledge that Your grace and peace are increased through my knowledge of You. Help me draw nearer to You, to seek You, every moment of every day and in every situation I encounter in this life.
2 Peter 1:3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness.
Lord, I want to live a godly life, a life that will enable You to say one day, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Thank You for giving us everything we need to live a godly life through our knowledge of You. Help me to seek You, daily, with my whole heart. Help me to know You better, to understand Your ways, to serve as Your hands and feet and heart to Your people.
1 Peter 1:8 Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy….
Lord, Thank You for this day and for these verses. Thank You for a thirst to know You more and for this season of hopeful waiting. Thank You for the assurance, even when I can’t feel You, that You are with me, that You love me fiercely, that Your grace and mercy cover me. Increase my knowledge of You, my understanding of Your ways, and my heart for Your people. Draw me closer. Amen.
2 Peter 3:18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
Have a blessed day.

Isaiah 43:19 See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness….
I first claimed and deeply felt Isaiah 43:19 when my husband had a heart attack. The ambulance driver told me that the hubs had indeed had a heart attack and that they were running lights and sirens to the hospital and that I should not try to keep up. Lord Jesus, please make a way.
Romans 12:12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
And Romans 12:12 is the first verse I ever remember claiming, way back in childhood. I just remember thinking that it was a great all-purpose verse: joyful, patient, faithful—all situations covered. But I can’t believe it took me this long to truly see the connection between these two verses and the idea of hopeful waiting. 
Romans 8:24 For in this hope we are saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have?
Lord, Thank You for this day and for the hope that can only come from You. Thank You for making a way, even when we can’t yet perceive it, and for the ability to wait in joyful hope because we know You are at work in our lives. Draw us closer to You, and help us to claim Your joy as we wait, knowing that You are always at work in our circumstances. Amen.
Romans 8:25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
Have a blessed day.

Psalm 51:7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
As I type this reflection, the snow is falling outside and has been for most of the night. To listen, there is a peaceful stillness. The only sound is the soft settling of snow upon snow. To look, everything is covered in a blanket of pure white. As it’s early, no one has been out in it yet, so the snow is clean and unblemished, transforming even the ugliest and most mundane objects into beautiful creations. 
Isaiah 1:18 “Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.”
I imagine that’s a rather fitting analogy of what God’s love, mercy, and grace do for us. On our own, we default to the ugly ways of this world—pettiness, selfishness, looking out only for number one. But God’s all-encompassing love, His amazing grace, and His unfathomable mercy cover us, transforming us. Through His mercy, we become new creations, what once was scarlet becomes white as snow, clean and unblemished. Thank You, Jesus!
2 Cor 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
Lord, Thank You for this day and for the transformative power of Your love, grace, and mercy. Thank You for the beauty of the snow and for the chance to slow down, to quiet our hearts and minds, to be still and know that You are God. Draw us closer. Amen.
Psalm 51:10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Have a blessed day.

Luke 1:78 …because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven….
My students are sometimes very resistant to taking chances, especially when it comes to reading poetry. Many are often quick to respond, “I just don’t get it,” without even trying. So I encourage them to focus on what they do understand or on images and phrases that resonate with them or that remind them of something in their own lives. I often take a similar approach when I am reading scripture, and in Luke 1:78, the line “the tender mercy of our God” is one that resonates deeply.
Lam 3:22 The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; His mercies never come to an end….
I often talk about God’s fierce love of His children, His unending mercy, His unfathomable grace for us, but to think of “the tender mercy of our God” feels entirely different in the best possible way. God is not only mighty and fierce, He is tender and gentle, like the newborn Savior, wrapped in swaddling clothing and lying in a manger.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for scripture that speaks of Your tender mercies, and for lines of scripture that resonate deeply. Thank You for Your strength and Your gentleness and for Your precious Son, born in a stable, wrapped in swaddling clothing, who has come to redeem us all. Help us to prepare our hearts for Him. Draw us closer. Amen.
Lam 3:22-23 The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.
Have a blessed day.