What's Next?

What’s Next?

          I've been cleaning out my Art/craft Room. My husband gave me some beautiful shelving from Ikea for Christmas. My son, Adam, and husband, Jon, spent Christmas Eve day putting them up for me. My son Todd and daughter-in-law gave me cool storage containers with many drawers in them. Adam also, gave me great music to work by.

          As a result of all the cleaning, I found this sketch I made many Christmases ago.  I decided to put it up here because it might be where some people are as they look toward the New Year. You may be as I have been at times, staring with dullness into the night’s fire, tired, bone weary, and discouraged. Not knowing when the Messiah will come.

          But have faith. Just when you think there is only darkness ahead for you, the next turn of your head may reveal angels waiting to shower you with hope and joy, and a star biding you to follow it to a new calling.

          “Fear not, for unto you is born this day in the city of David . . .” I love the answer the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go and see this thing that the Lord has made known to us.”

Yes, when God calls, be excited to say, “LET’S GO!” 

The Gospel Tree

The Gospel Tree

          For the month of December our pastors Greg Ralston and Evan Westburg preached on the gospel of how to come to, and follow, Jesus. They preached on how God has a plan for us, that we are separated from Him through sin, that God made a way for us to come to Him through His Son, and that we must, not just believe in, but accept this gift. No one else can do it for us. Since they used a Christmas theme I made a Christmas tree that held this message. I added to the tree each week.

          Here is the finished Gospel Tree. Also, here is something my oldest son Todd wrote recently, and I think it fits here.

The Story of My Foolish Faith

By Todd Spieker

I am a fool I believe that this infinite, complex, ancient universe has a beginning. I believe that it has a beginner A first Word, and a last one. But when I look outside the world is broken. Yet we yearn for wholeness Death is our constant companion. Yet we cling to life Look outside and you will see evil winning and good losing. The heroes die and the good FAIL. I believe that Once the God of light entered this dark world. This light that built the world lived in it. He set aside his strength and put on weakness and humanity. The creator became his broken creation. He came to turn all people back towards God, back towards the author of all life. came for the forgotten, the outcast, the poor, and the weak. came to help those alone in a dark world at first it seemed like the darkness won. He was abandoned by his friends, and condemned by those who claimed to serve his father. He died, alone, outcast, poor, and weak just like those he came for. And as he lay cold and dead in a dark tomb, his followers scattered. But that is not the end of the story. No, when his followers came his body was gone. They saw him again, Not dead, alive. The light, this light that entered the world was not extinguished. The darkness did not overcome him Three days later He lived, The grave could not hold him. This Lord, this light, the same God who made us This God calls us to die like him. To die to our darkness, to be raised new in his light. To live as his agents of restoration This is his plan This is how he sets it right I die in order to live. I surrender to be set free. My faith is a paradox, where the last is first and the greatest died for the least. But this God is not happy with just me. This God loves his creation. This God died for his creation. This God rose for his creation. This God won’t rest until his creation is whole. This God seeks his people like a poor woman searches for a lost coin Like a shepherd for a lost sheep Because we are his prized possession. This God is the one who calls me. The one who called me, when I was selfish and cruel and evil I believe this God calls you Come be a fool.