The king shouted, yelled, jumped up and down like a receiver in the end zone after catching the winning football pass. Bang the symbols and drums! Blow the trumpets! Let all nature join in the excitement! He threw off any clothes that hindered him in his wild enthusiastic worship dance before God. The ark of the covenant, the symbol of God’s presence, was entering Jerusalem. This Advent season reminds us Jesus is coming to bring hope, peace and Joy to this earth, ending a world of suffering. Our Savior is coming! Can our worship be any less!

How can I love him? I can’t pray enough. I can’t give enough. I can’t serve enough. I can’t obey enough. I can’t read my Bible enough. Maybe I need to fast more. No, none of what I can do is enough to express the love, appreciation and thankfulness I have for what my Savior has done for me. He has given me the greatest gift, the pearl of great price, and that gift is him.

“I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong— that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith” (Romans 1:11-12, NIV). When I read these words of the apostle Paul, it reminds me how important it is to connect with other followers of Jesus. Though it’s best to meet in person, one good aspect of our modern technology is that even the home bound can attend church and Bible studies and participate in support groups online. We don’t all have the same gifts. We need one another’s encouragement in the faith.

Have you ever thought about how many ways God shows his love for us? He designed this earth with us in mind. Unlike other planets in our solar system ours is perfect for us in every way. Our world is not only functional, it is also beautiful with mountains, rivers, streams and gorgeous sunrises and sunsets. He gave us the colorful exotic birds, fish and other creatures he’s designed for us to enjoy.  When we had three inches of rain after weeks of dry weather that rain was worth millions of dollars to the farmers and ranchers here. God’s love is limitless!

When Jesus came to resurrect Lazarus I’ve wondered why he was so troubled and upset. He knew he was going to resurrect Lazarus in a very short time, yet he wept. Was he sorrowful about death itself, yet he was death’s conqueror. Then I heard a pastor say Jesus was experiencing Mary’s and Martha’s grief, taking their grief into himself, feeling their pain. Yes, our comforter, our dear friend, grieving with us when we grieve and rejoicing with us when we are joyful. That sounds like the Jesus I know!

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 6-7, NKJV). Never be anxious, really?  It’s been my default reaction when I have a problem.  How often I’ve read that scripture and how often I’ve failed to recall it when I’ve needed it the most. And, how comforting it is when the Holy Spirit brings it to mind! No other peace is like the peace of mind that God brings!

When I started to write a blog about all the creative ways God shows us his love, the blog kept getting longer and longer until I realized this subject is too huge for a blog. If someone really put his or her mind to it, even a basic list could become a book at the very least. And what about all we don’t know or even understand about how the universe functions. As the years go by, we’re learning more and more about what it takes for life to survive on this planet. God’s all-consuming love for his creation knows no boundaries!

God is not fair! Why do I say that? Because he really isn’t fair. Think about it, he shares the blessings of this earth with everyone, deserving or not. Instead of avenging our enemies, our Savior says pray for them. Give the coat too, go the extra mile. Does it seem fair to reward those who are unfair to you! Jesus says, yes, because God is love and his followers should be willing to express his abounding, generous, mind-boggling love to others just as he does, whether they deserve it or not. Otherwise, how can we call ourselves Christians.

When my figs were ripening I would get out early before the Texas heat got to triple digits to pick them. That’s when I noticed hundreds of little caterpillar-type worms all over my driveway and patio. I queried my neighbors who, after checking their own yards, said we had been invaded by army worms! Army worms like Bermuda grass and that’s what many of us have in our yards. They can destroy a lawn in a matter of days. I was wishing for a huge flock of birds to fly in and eat them all, but that didn’t happen. So, I called my yard guy and asked him to get rid of only the worms, not every other living thing in my yard!

As I looked up and down through the various shelves in the Nutritional aisle trying to find a particular supplement, it was getting embarrassing. Customers came and went. When I overheard one couple mention what they couldn’t find, I pointed out where it was because I practically had the shelves memorized. The wife asked me what I was looking for. I told her and we looked some more. Finally I left to continue shopping. In a few minutes she came after me triumphantly holding up my supplement. She said she was on a mission and couldn’t quit. I’d not seen her before, don’t know her name, but that’s a woman I would like to get to know better.