To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”  John 8:31-32
 
 
It is a very narrow road with twisting “Mama Mia!” kinds of switchbacks. Often there is only width for one vehicle at a time. The view is impressive, even en route, if you dare to look out the window as the steep asphalt, absent any guard rails, whooshes by. I’m thankful the guide knows where we are going.

On the Isle of Capri, the drive from the town of Capri up to Anacapri is truly breathtaking. Exiting the vehicle in Anacapri, I have a choice. I can either take the single-seated ski lift to the top of Anacapri or not. The thought of dangling dozens of feet off the ground on the steep ride is daunting, but I am promised many photo opportunities when I reach the summit. Convinced, I wait my turn for my personal ski lift and then I am off! Gliding over the trees and houses on the ascent isn’t as scary as I had imagined. Floating over the landscape actually feels freeing, like I can reach out and touch the sky. From the top, the view is incredibly more than I could have ever dreamed!

Navigating life without the truth of the Bible and the Holy Spirit is like navigating a winding, switchback road with no road map, posted signs, or guard rails. Scary at least and perhaps even dangerous to ourselves and others, we accept beliefs as our own without vetting them against Scripture. When we live life with beliefs we haven’t stacked up against the Bible, when our thoughts are untested by the Holy Spirit, we can too easily hurt and judge others by dishing out what we believe is the truth, rather than showing them God’s grace. We can easily become intolerant of others’ ideas, even those of other believers, when we believe we alone know truth. Only God has the corner market on truth.

When we don’t live in God’s truth, we also deny ourselves the life we are called to live. In John 10:10, Jesus says, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” Some translations use the word “abundant” instead of full. Living this full and abundant life will evade us if we don’t spend time in God’s truth and really understand it. We will miss out on God’s many blessings in our own lives. We’ll lose sight of the life we are called to live, kingdom living here and now.

In John 8:31-32, Jesus says, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Understanding the truth of Scripture with the help of the Holy Spirit frees us to be who God wants us to be, free to live and love out of the abundance of God’s grace, free to live a forgiven life because Jesus has already paid for our sins. We’re free to live in peace, without anxiety, without fear. We can have the abundant life Jesus talks about, a life full of the fruit of the Spirit:  love, joy, peace patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (see Galatians 5:22-23). We’re unencumbered as we run the race of life, throwing off everything that hinders to run freely to the finish line of heaven. (See Hebrews 12:1-3.)

Like the road to Anacapri, we can navigate best when we have a guide who knows the truth of where we are going. Traveling the often-winding road of life with the knowledge of Scripture and the help of the Holy Spirit enables us to experience freedom, to live without fear, to live without judgment, and to live in grace and peace with ourselves and others. We don’t need a chairlift to the top. All we need is God’s Spirit living in us and beliefs that come from God and His Word.
 
 
Lord, You alone are Truth. May the grace of Your Truth set me free, free from fear, and free to love You and those You’ve placed in my life without judgment. May I live the abundant life by Your Spirit living in me. Amen.
 
 
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Text and photograph copyright © 2018 by Dawn Dailey. All rights reserved. Photo from the summit of Anacapri on the isle of Capri, Italy.
 
 
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

Show me your ways, LORD, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.  Psalm 25:4-5
 
 
If, ten years ago, someone had told me I’d be divorced twice, I would have told them they clearly were speaking to the wrong person. Divorce wasn’t even in my vocabulary… until it happened to me.
 
I’m not proud of the fact I have experienced divorce twice. As a matter of fact, shame has a way of creeping in when I least expect it. The key verse for today has become particularly meaningful to me. I pray for God to show me His ways and guide me in His truth. My hope is not in my circumstances, but in God who is good and faithful. While I continue to work through my own issues, I can honestly say that in the process, I have learned much about myself and also about what God has to say about divorce. And what I have discovered has surprised me.
 
Ingrained in our Christian culture is the notion that marriage is forever, regardless of its quality or the impact it has on the individual. So, too is the idea that divorce is a sin and anyone who divorces is a sinner. I have often felt judged by other believers who perhaps considered themselves superior for having “successful” marriages. I have been surprised by the curiosity of believing friends who wanted to know the details of the marriage and divorce, as if they were playing judge and needed to decide which side to choose.
 
A good marriage never ends in divorce. Wedding vows have already been broken before one partner chooses to separate. Perhaps ending a bad marriage is a sign of strength, a desire for healing and wholeness that overshadows the need to uphold the institution of marriage for the sake of the institution. Someone going through a divorce is hurting already, regardless of the circumstances. We don’t need to add insult to injury by creating blame and shame.
 
What I discovered, through studying the Scriptures on marriage and divorce, is that nowhere in the Bible does God say divorce is a sin. In fact, God uses the analogy of divorce in Jeremiah 3 in the context of Israel’s unfaithfulness to Him, saying He will write Israel a certificate of divorce. We know that God is holy and cannot sin Himself. Yet if a holy God can hypothetically divorce His people, how can divorce be sinful?
 
The Christian culture has a long-standing habit of taking verses out of context. One such verse is Malachi 2:16. Some translations of this verse say that God hates divorce. This idea has been extrapolated to mean that God hates all divorces and consequently God hates the divorcée and further, that divorce is a sin. When we put Malachi 2:16 into context, however, we see a totally different meaning. The Hebrew word for divorce in Malachi 2:16 means “putting away”. In Matthew 5:31-32 (see my last post), we see a culture where the men were putting away their wives without giving them a certificate of divorce. This practice was happening, too, about 400 years earlier as recorded by the prophet Malachi. The men in Malachi’s time were wondering why God didn’t accept their offerings and bless them. God, through Malachi, reminded them they had sent their wives away, mostly on a whim, without any financial support. God was not going to bless them for their hurtful behavior. In their culture, where women did not have the right to work, refusing to support their wives reduced the women to poverty or prostitution.
 
God is saying in Malachi that He hates it when husbands discard their wives and do not give them a written certificate of divorce and provide no financial support. In that culture, without this certificate, a divorced woman could not legally marry again and become financially supported by a new husband. God is saying this practice is wrong. Malachi 2:16 is not a blanket statement against all divorce, but rather deals with a very specific and prevalent practice in Biblical-era culture.
 
Throughout Scripture, we see a God who loves His people, who particularly helps those who are oppressed and hopeless. In the New Testament, we see Jesus loving the unlovable, helping the helpless, and healing the hurting. I’ve come to realize that God does truly love those trapped in a bad marriage more than He loves the institution of marriage itself.
 
Again, there is no verse in the Bible that says divorce is a sin. There is, however, a verse that is very clear on what our attitude should be about divorce and other divisive, emotionally-charged topics. Matthew 7:1-2 says, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
 
I wonder what our world would look like and what an example Christians could be if we practiced this verse. What would happen if we humbly acknowledged that, except for God’s grace, anyone can experience divorce? How would our relationships improve if we fully grasped that divorce is not a sin, but rather the opportunity to journey to wholeness and healing? May we come alongside those experiencing divorce with love and support, rather than blame and shame. May we be Jesus’ hands and feet to a hurting world.
 
 
Lord, I thank You for the truth found in Your Word. Guide me in Your truth each day. Thank You for Your love and grace in the journey. Amen.
 
 
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Text and photograph copyright © 2018 by Dawn Dailey. All rights reserved. Photo of Broken Arrow Trail, Sedona, Arizona.
 
 
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

“It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.  Matthew 5:31-32
 
 
In the last post, I wrote about holding our beliefs up to the light of Scripture to see if what we believe is actually true. Today’s post is an example of how context is key. We have to keep verses in context in order to fully understand their meaning and their application to our lives.
 
Today’s key verses from the Gospel of Matthew are part of what is commonly referred to as the “Sermon on the Mount” where Jesus is teaching His followers about what kind of character we are to have and how we are to relate to God and to others.
 
In these two short verses, Jesus addresses three issues He saw in their culture at that time. The first issue was that husbands were divorcing their wives on a whim, without cause. Secondly, when a husband divorced his wife, he did not always give her a certificate of divorce. Thirdly, men sometimes sent away their first wives and then lived with another, usually another man’s wife or a prostitute.
 
In Bible times, women had no rights, not even the right to work. They were considered property. We know from many verses in the Bible that widows were a point of concern in their society because they could not support themselves. Likewise, a divorced woman had no means of financially providing for herself. Women were completely financially dependent on the men in their lives – husbands, if they were married, sons, if they were widowed. If there were no men in her family to financially care for her, most likely a woman’s only means of survival was prostitution.
 
It’s important to note that the word “divorce” in these verses is the Greek word “apoluo” which means “to put away”, not to obtain a legal divorce. It means the husband threw his wife out of the house without good reason and without a legal certificate of divorce.
 
So what is Jesus saying in these verses? Regarding the first of the three issues identified earlier, Jesus is saying that divorce should be based on a significant reason or cause, not on a whim. Secondly, if a man puts away his wife and does not give her a certificate of divorce, they are not legally divorced. She cannot remarry to find financial support in another husband because she is still married to her first husband. If she does remarry (illegally), she would be guilty of adultery and so would her new husband. If she doesn’t remarry, her only option to financially support herself would be prostitution, which again would cause her be an adulteress since she is still married. Jesus is saying the husband needs to give his wife a certificate of divorce so she can legally remarry. In the third issue, the phrase “except for sexual immorality” does not refer to a reason for divorce, but rather to the situation where the man was already in an adulterous relationship. Jesus is saying that the relationship should end, but no certificate of divorce is required since there is no marriage to begin with. The “exception” mentioned is regarding the need for a certificate of divorce.
 
Note that Jesus never lists the valid reasons for divorce nor are any listed elsewhere in Scripture. Perhaps this is because each marital relationship is unique and there could be any number of reasons for cause. Now that we have dug into these verses today, we need to ask ourselves if we’ve misapplied them in the past. Are we quick to quip “the only valid reason for divorce is adultery”? Or have we stated “there are only four valid reasons for divorce, the four A’s:  adultery, addition, abuse, and abandonment”? Are we guilty of holding others in judgment for divorces for reasons other than adultery? The Bible is pretty clear we are not to judge others (see Matthew 7:1-2) and that God alone judges the heart (see 1 Samuel 16:7).
 
What about those of us who are divorced? Have we been racked with guilt because our divorce wasn’t the result of adultery? If so, do you find the truth in these verses liberating and even healing?
 
When we take Bible verses out of context, we may, like the Pharisees in Jesus’ day, put burdens on others because of our erroneous interpretations. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Jesus came to fulfill the Law of the Old Testament and usher in an era of grace. Keeping verses in context is key in discovering truth, God’s truth that allows us to grow in grace and extend grace to others. May it be so.
 
Dear Jesus, thank You for Your Word that teaches me how to love You and others better. May I read Your Word in context to understand clearly what You want me to learn. May I grow in love and grace. In Your Name I pray, Amen.
 
 
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Text and photograph copyright © 2018 by Dawn Dailey. All rights reserved. Photo of daisies near Roussillon in the Vaucluse, Provence, France.
 
 
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”  Matthew 22:37-40
 
 
I’ve always been a big fan of old movies. Even as a teen, I watched movies from the 1930’s, 1940’s, and 1950’s. One of my favorites is Roman Holiday, starring Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn. Set in Rome, as the title suggests, the plot involves a princess from a foreign country who dutifully fulfills her obligations in each city she visits until she arrives in Rome. No longer able to cope with her role of duty, she escapes the embassy and meets a handsome American who shows her the sights of Rome. In one scene, Gregory Peck sticks his hand into a marble sculpture called the “Mouth of Truth”. According to legend, if you place your hand inside the mouth, this ancient mask of a man’s face has the power to cut off your hand if you are lying. Gregory Peck decides to play a joke on Audrey Hepburn and when he removes his hand from the Mouth of Truth, he cleverly hides his hand in his sleeve. Her scream at seeing his handless arm is totally unscripted and the director included this humorous improv scene in the movie.
 
On a beautiful, warm day after visiting the Colosseum in Rome, we stopped by a nearby church. Not quite as dark and sinister as depicted in the movie, the Mouth of Truth is built into the church’s exterior wall. Queued up to see this popular tourist site was a line of people, who, all in their turn, were able to stick their hands into the carved mouth and have their photo taken by friends and family. When it was our turn, I tentatively placed my hand into the Mouth of Truth and am happy to report I escaped unscathed.
 
In today’s society, there is no Mouth of Truth to distinguish truth from lies. How do we discern truth? In particular, how do we learn to live by the truth? What makes up the beliefs and values that guide how we live?
 
When we believe in Jesus as our Lord and Savior, His Spirit becomes real to us. This Spirit, the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, speaks God’s truth into our lives. When we read the Bible, we have the Spirit to help us understand what we are reading and to help us apply biblical truths to our lives.
 
Sometimes, perhaps because of the fast pace of life, we sacrifice time with God for other competing priorities. We take shortcuts that end up by-passing time spent in God’s truth. The “herd mentality” creeps in and we start to believe what others around us believe, even what other Christians believe, without taking the time to vet those thoughts and beliefs against Scripture. We are called to know what we believe and why we believe it. This involves careful study of God’s Word with the help of the Holy Spirit.

How much of our Christian “culture” consists of beliefs that we internalize as our own without ever really thinking about what we believe and stacking it up against Scripture? As I go deeper into my own beliefs, exploring with the help of the Spirit of Truth, I’m surprised to find that much of what we believe as Christians really isn’t in the Bible at all. Yet, we hold these beliefs up as truth and allow them to impact our thoughts, words, and actions, often using them to judge other people. I’m not referring to the tenets of the Christian faith, such as Jesus’ atoning death on the cross. But rather, beliefs like “God hates divorce” and “adultery is the only valid reason for divorce”, are among the many beliefs we often hold that are not found in Scripture. Typically, these “untruths” get their start in Bible verses ripped out of context. (Stay tuned for further exploration in future blogs.)

When asked by a Pharisee, one of the religious leaders of the day, what the greatest commandments are, Jesus’ reply in Matthew 22:37-40 was probably pretty startling to His followers and to the Pharisees who were accustomed to their long list of 613 actual rules. Jesus says we are to love the Lord our God with all our hearts and to love our neighbors as ourselves. These are the greatest commandments, the most important truths and guiding principles by which we are to live. Perhaps if we start there, all other true beliefs will fold in under these. Maybe if we keep these two commandments tucked into our hearts and minds, our attitudes and actions would indeed reflect the love of the Triune God and bear witness to the One who is the Living Truth, through His Spirit living within us.
 
 
Lord, help me to seek Your truth and grant me wisdom and grace to apply it to my life. Give me the courage and strength to live Your truth out in my life every day. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
 
 
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Text and photograph copyright © 2018 by Dawn Dailey. All rights reserved. Photo of the Mouth of Truth (Bocca della Verità), Santa Maria in Cosmedin Church, Rome, Italy.
 
 
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay.  Ruth 1:16b
 
 
In the book of Ruth, we read a beautiful story about loyalty as well as loss and new beginnings. A famine forces Naomi to move with her husband and sons from Bethlehem to the land of Moab. Ten years or so later, tragedy strikes when Naomi loses her husband and both her sons. She decides to travel back to Bethlehem. Ruth, her daughter-in-law, chooses to go with Naomi, saying “Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay.” I love Ruth’s loyalty to her mother-in-law and her tenacity in standing firm in her decision to go with Naomi. The happy ending is heart-warming and we see God’s hand at work throughout this story. But often I read the book of Ruth and overlook Naomi’s own transformation.
 
When she arrives back at her home in Bethlehem, Naomi tells her friends not to call her Naomi anymore. She renames herself “Mara” which means bitter. She says in Ruth 1:21a, “I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty.” Naomi places the blame squarely on God for her emptiness. Her grief blinds her to the fact that even though she has suffered significant losses, she has gained a daughter-in-law who is fiercely loyal to her. When she honestly acknowledges she is now empty, Naomi faces a broken part of herself. Only then is God’s power unleashed to bring Naomi from the depths of despair to a place of healing and hope. The happy ending (spoiler alert!) is Ruth marries a godly man named Boaz and they have a child who grows up to become the grandfather of King David. Naomi rejoices in how God has so abundantly provided for her. She is no longer the bitter woman she was at the beginning of the story.
 
Traveling to a foreign country recently reminded me of this engaging story of Ruth and Naomi. I know when I travel that God goes with me. In Matthew 28:20b, as Jesus is ascending into heaven after the resurrection, the last thing He tells His disciples is “…surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Ruth, in a way, is a Christ-figure, promising Naomi that she will go wherever Naomi goes, that she will not leave her. In my travels, I have learned that Jesus goes with me, too, wherever I go. He will not leave me. I do not need to be afraid.
 
I have also come to realize that wherever I go, there I am. Like Naomi, I pack my insecurities, anxieties, and brokenness and bring those with me when I take off on a trip. I fool myself into thinking that only the new me, the brave one, the one who doesn't let fear rule her life, will be taking this trip. But the rest of me is there, too. Travel creates discovery. But is it discovery of outward sights or inward insights? In traveling half-way around the world, I come face-to-face with myself.
 
Yet, bit by bit, the baggage becomes lighter. Like Naomi, I am transformed when I face my brokenness and allow God’s power to be unleashed in me. God works in and through me, to change me and to make me into a better version of myself. Just like in Naomi’s case, He takes the circumstances and experiences and weaves them in a way that makes my life fuller and richer. May I, like Naomi and her friends, give praise to the Lord for the transformation He has brought about in my life.
 
What baggage of your own do you carry around with you? Under what circumstances do you come face-to-face with who you are? Allow God’s transforming power to be unleashed in you. I invite you to completely trust the God who loves you, who has your best in mind, and who redeems all your losses as He transforms you into a better “you”.
 
 
Dear Jesus, I thank You and praise You that wherever I go, You go with me. On the journey of life, may I be transformed by Your love into a better version of me. May I see Your hand at work in my life through loss and redemption, through brokenness and healing. Amen.
 
 
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Text and photograph copyright © 2018 by Dawn Dailey. All rights reserved. Photo of Monarch butterfly on a zinnia.
 
 
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:  The old has gone, the new is here!  2 Corinthians 5:17
 
 
One morning I was reading a devotional book by Sheila Walsh*. She wrote about a time in her life many years ago when she was admitted to a psychiatric hospital because of depression. The doctor asked her who she was. She replied with her name. Again, he asked her who she was, and this time she named her career. The third time he asked who she was, she whispered, “I don’t know.”
 
We don’t have to suffer from depression to struggle with knowing who we are. How do we identify ourselves? Is it by what we do for a living or who we are as a person? In this craziness called life, we wear multiple “hats” and juggle numerous tasks. We are so busy doing that we forget to just “be”.
 
Or perhaps the present moment isn’t the issue. Maybe it’s the past. Is there a mistake from your past that haunts you years later, that somehow defines who you are? Regrets, those “if only” moments we wish we could change, do not have to define us. Our past is but one chapter in our life. What we take with us from the past shapes our future. We have more control over what shapes our future than we realize. Take the good, healthy parts of the past into the future, but give the regretful past its proper place and leave it there, in the past.
 
2 Corinthians 5:17 is a hopeful verse that speaks to who we are in Christ. Believing that Jesus Christ saved us from all our past, present, and future mistakes, including our regrets, sets us free to be made new. Jesus transforms us into who He wants us to be, who He created us to be. In this present and future place, we are free to take on His character, to be more like Him.
 
How often do you take a moment to not “do” but to just “be”? When do you check in with yourself and explore your passions, dreams, and desires? Psalm 46:10 tells us to be still and know that God is God. When we still the inner chatter, we can hear God’s whisper. We can discern His calling to perhaps step out onto a new path and try something new, to become the best of who we are. Romans 12:2 says we are to test and approve what God’s will is. Testing implies stepping out in faith and turning doorknobs to see which doors open to us.
 
What defines you? Who I am in Christ defines me. I am also the sum total of my passions, dreams, and desires, along with the talents, abilities, and spiritual gifts which God has given me. Acknowledging that my faith, my love for my children and extended family, the desire to experience deep friendships, the strive for excellence in whatever I do, my appreciation for the arts, my passion for travel, my sense of humor, all define me. For me, my “still” moments have often come while traveling. It is in those moments of stepping out of fear and into a new culture without all the familiar props that I become face-to-face with my real myself. That's when I know who I am. But more importantly, I know whose I am.
 
At the end of Sheila’s story, as she leaves the hospital, the doctor asks her again, “Who are you?” Sheila replies confidently that she is Sheila Walsh and she is a daughter of the King of Kings. We, too, can say with confidence that we are children of the King of Kings. We are a new creation in Christ. The old has gone and the new has come. As we begin a new year, may we be still long enough to hear God’s whispers of love to us, calling us to leave our past behind and to embrace a new chapter in life, to shed regrets of the past, and to step out into a new future. Praise be to God!
 
 
God, you are the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. May you quiet me with Your love as I take time out of a busy schedule to seek Your face. Show me the way I should go and who you want me to be along the way. Make me more like Jesus every day. Amen.
 
 
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Text and photograph copyright © 2017 by Dawn Dailey. All rights reserved. Photo of tulip from Drumlanrig Castle, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland.
 
* Sheila Walsh, 5 Minutes with Jesus:  Making Today Matter, published by Thomas Nelson, 2015.
 
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

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.  John 3:16
 
 
As I entered the Romanesque church, the plain exterior belied not only the beauty within, but the depth of legend and lore. Alabaster windows instead of stained glass curiously let in sufficient light. Built in 1087, the Basilica di San Nicola stands as it has stood for centuries in the Old Town of Bari, Italy. While I’ve visited many churches, basilicas, and cathedrals, I was struck by the magnitude of stories and miracles centered around its patron saint, San Nicola.
 
In the English-speaking world, we know him as Saint Nicholas. Born in AD 270 in a town called Myra in what is now modern-day Turkey, Nicholas became a bishop in the Catholic church and was one of the signers of the declaration of faith known as the Nicene Creed. Legends surrounding his life create a persona who was extremely generous, giving to the poor, often at night anonymously. Deemed the patron saint of children, many of the miracles attributed to Saint Nicholas involve helping and even rescuing children. One such story tells how the father of three daughters, too poor to afford their dowries, planned to sell them to prostitution. Nicholas is said to have dropped three bags of gold coins through their open window at night, providing the needed dowry and saving the girls from a life of ill repute. Another story, more gruesome, involves the murder of three brothers and their miraculous resurrection from the dead by Nicholas.
 
When Nicholas died on December 6, in 343, many churches were built in his honor and his tomb outside of Myra became a popular pilgrimage site. Even today, December 6th is celebrated as Saint Nicholas Day. In 1087, when Myra was conquered by an opposing army, afraid of what would happen to the tomb, sailors from Bari scooped up most of Saint Nicholas’ remains and carried them back to Bari.
 
Today, our modern-day Santa Claus has his beginnings in the story of Nicholas, this saintly priest and bishop. In 1823, Clement Clarke Moore’s poem entitled Twas the Night Before Christmas changed the American view of Saint Nicholas from an elderly bishop in robes to a jolly and rotund man in a red suit trimmed in white fur.
 
While I knew Saint Nicholas was an actual person of history, I had no idea of the legends, miracles, and generosity attributed to him. As our tour guide regaled us with story after story, I couldn’t help but think of the One who was miraculously born in a manger over 2,000 years ago. John 3:16 says, “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.” God gave the greatest gift of all when He gave His son Jesus to be born as a helpless baby in a manger. And Jesus gave His life so generously on a cross so that we could receive the greatest gift of all, a personal relationship with God and eternal life. Jesus came down to earth one holy, silent night to lead us up to heaven.
 
May we not get so caught up in celebrating Santa Claus and Saint Nicholas that we forget to worship the One who came on that dark and wintry night to be the Light of the World to all who believe. I believe. Do you?
 
 
Heavenly Father, I thank You for the miraculous birth of Jesus on that most holy night. I thank You for the gift of Your one and only Son who in turn, through His death on a cross, gives eternal life, the most generous gift of all, to anyone who believes. May I look past the busyness of the season and remember the true Reason we celebrate Christmas. Thank You, Jesus. Amen.
 
 
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Text and photograph copyright © 2017 by Dawn Dailey. All rights reserved. Photo of Basilica di San Nicola, Bari, Italy.
 
 
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed— or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”  Luke 10:38-42
 
 
As I shopped recently at a local department store for some early Christmas gifts, I entered the check-out line to pay. Normally, I would have felt impatient to stand in the line, but that day, I felt strangely at peace. I was in the moment, not wishing I were done and back in the car, not mentally going over my to-do list of all the things I could be doing but were not. The supernatural peace ruling in my heart must have reflected on my face. When I finally made it to the check-out counter, the clerk remarked at how calm I was. Used to seeing frazzled shoppers, I’m sure she viewed me as an anomaly. I was, even to me.
 
Today’s key verses contain a familiar story of two sisters who host Jesus in their home. Martha is stirring around in the kitchen, resenting the lack of help from her sister. Mary is quietly sitting at Jesus’ feet, absorbing all He is teaching. When Martha charges into the room and abruptly demands Jesus to ask her sister to help, she assumes Jesus will be on her side. Instead, Jesus chastises Martha for not taking time out to learn from Him, to grow her own spiritual life, and to set the appropriate priorities. All the while, Mary sits at Jesus’ feet, listening to truths taught. By sitting at His feet, Mary demonstrates she is submitting to His guidance. Her faith and love of her Lord, Jesus says, cannot be taken away from her (see also Romans 8:38-39 which says nothing can separate us from God’s love).
 
In this busy season of the year, there are many tasks at hand, from shopping to wrapping, from cooking to entertaining. While none of these things are wrong in and of themselves, the frantic and frenzied pace robs us of peace. At the end of the day, we’re physically exhausted as we mentally beat ourselves up for what we didn’t get accomplished that day. We are more focused on remaining tasks than relationships.
 
Psalm 143:8 is a key verse for me, one that I read every morning as I spend time with God. It says, “Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.” As I read God’s Word, the Bible, His love for me becomes real. When I put my trust in Him and choose to follow Him, He shows me not only my path for life’s journey, but He also reveals what my priorities are for today. I can trust Him with the way I should go today and with my whole life.
 
Pondering the story of Martha and Mary, I know I tend to be a “Martha”. I’m naturally task-oriented. I’m usually too busy “doing” and not spending time “being”. On the day God used a store clerk to get my attention, I realized that spending time with Jesus allowed His peace to reign in my heart, so much so, that a stranger noticed. While I missed the opportunity to tell her about the source of my peace (an obvious opportunity, in hindsight), the opportunity to connect the dots wasn’t entirely lost. It was a growth opportunity for me, to better understand and apply the connection between Martha and Mary. When the “Mary” in me sits at Jesus’ feet each morning, the “Martha” in me is able to be the hands of Jesus to better accomplish what is truly important throughout my day. When I spend time with Jesus, I’m empowered to take His peace and love with me, reflecting a deeper calm while demonstrating His love to those I encounter along the way.
 
 
Lord, thank You for the lessons learned from two sisters who both loved You. May I learn from them and put into practice that balance between faith and works, of being and doing. Create in me a desire to spend more time with You to discern my priorities so that the peace from knowing You reflects in all I do throughout my day. Amen.
 
 
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Text and photograph copyright © 2017 by Dawn Dailey. All rights reserved. Photo of woodland path near Gatehouse of Fleet, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland.
 
  
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.  Psalm 126:3
 
 
Today an anxious thought threatens to circle around and around in my mind, looking for a place to land. This flight of worry wasn’t even on my radar screen last week. Yet here it is, trying to control my mind and heart.
 
Worry either locks us into the past as we replay regret over and over again or it catapults us into the future to dwell on events yet to come. Either way, worry steals precious moments from the present. We’re too caught up in thoughts of the past or the future to fully live in the moment.
 
The anecdote to worry and anxiety is gratitude. When we take our horizontal focus off our worries of yesterday and tomorrow, we’re free to vertically focus on God in the here and now. When we abide with Jesus (see John 15), thoughts of gratitude chase thoughts of worry from our mind.
 
As Thanksgiving Day approaches here in the US, we often express what we’re thankful for. Thanksgiving isn’t just for one day. It’s an attitude for every day. When anxiety threatens to overtake us, if we turn our thoughts to what God has done for us and how grateful we are, we can experience reprieve from worry. When we literally count our blessings and park our mind on the positives, we can live in the present moment, free from the past and the future. Even when we are in a difficult season, we can still see God’s fingerprints in the details, little reminders that He is present with us.
 
Gratitude not only helps us refocus from negative thoughts to positive ones, it also replaces worry with joy. To live a joyous life is to live out of a grateful heart. When we look at what we have instead of what we have not, we can experience gratefulness. And in that gratitude, as the Psalmist says in Psalm 126:3, when we realize the great things God has done for us already, we are filled with joy. Gratitude and joy go hand-in-hand and send worry and anxiety packing. Gratitude crushes worry and creates joy.
 
Research has even shown that people who have an attitude of gratitude live longer, are happier and healthier, both physically and psychologically, and even experience less depression. They have better self-esteem and also have more compassion for others. They sleep better, too, when they are grateful. Gratitude multiplies itself into all nooks and crannies of our mind, body, and spirit when we practice it daily.
 
Sometimes writing down that for which we are grateful helps us focus on God’s faithfulness and His good gifts to us. Later we can look back on what we wrote and experience continued gratefulness. We can trust that the God who was faithful then is faithful now.
 
Even though the worrisome situation hasn’t yet been resolved, I am confident of this: God is bigger than this situation and He has already worked wonders. I can count, not only my blessings, but on God’s faithfulness to continue to do great things. With a grateful heart, I am filled with joy as I abide in Him. I can live in the present without being held hostage to the past or the future. I can say wholeheartedly that this is the day God has made and I will rejoice and be glad in it (Psalm 118:24).
 
 
Heavenly Father, as I focus my mind on You and not on worries, I thank You for what I have already, for what You have already done for me. Thank You for the joy that comes from abiding in You with a grateful heart. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
 
 
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Text and photograph copyright © 2017 by Dawn Dailey. All rights reserved. Photo of Vettica Maggiore on the Amalfi Coast, Italy.
 
 
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.  Psalm 20:7
 
 
He was lying face down where he had fallen. His last act was to cover his face in an effort to breathe before the noxious fumes and excessive heat overtook him. He looked no more than a boy. From his clothes, he appeared to have been a slave. Was he forced to stay behind? Was he running for his life or was he overtaken before he had a chance to flee?
 
Mount Vesuvius is an imposing volcano, towering over the nearby towns on the Amalfi Coast of Italy. On a recent trip, I had the opportunity to visit Mount Vesuvius and tour the excavated ruins of Pompeii. I learned that the population at the time Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79AD was about 20,000 people. It’s estimated that 1,000-2,000 died that fateful day. While I was glad most inhabitants escaped to safety, I felt sad that so many still perished, like the slave boy depicted in the plaster cast I viewed.
 
Modern-day Pompei (spelled differently) sits in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius. Although there has not been an eruption since 1944, scientists predict that someday Mount Vesuvius will explode and once again cover everything within its reach with volcanic ash and pumice while spewing poisonous gas. The air will become so hot that it will kill a person before they asphyxiate.
 
Almost three million people live within twenty miles of this active volcano. According to one local, people who live there are afraid of a potential eruption. They trust in the patron saint Gennaro to keep them safe. They also trust in scientific predictions to warn them with enough lead time to leave.
 
As I pondered what it was like to live in ancient Pompeii and what it is like to live in modern-day Pompei in the proximity of one of the most dangerous volcanoes, the question “whom do I trust when I’m afraid?” filled my mind. In whom or what do you entrust your cares and concerns?
 
The key verse today says while some trust in material possessions, we, as believers, trust in the name of the Lord our God. Sometimes it is all too easy to trust in ourselves, to believe we can control the outcome. Perhaps we trust in our assets, our position, our power, or in people significant to us. The problem with trusting in anything other than God is that everything else can change overnight. Stock markets tumble, jobs are eliminated, relationships crumble. But God never changes.
 
We can trust God in His sovereignty to be in control, especially when circumstances explode all around us. Jesus said in John 14:1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.” We can trust Jesus, the One who died on a cross for us to know God, to deliver us and give us peace, despite the situation. When we look vertically up to God, our line-of-sight is no longer horizontal across our current state of affairs. We can live in peace, not fear. Worry doesn’t control us. Whether we live in the shadow of an active volcano, in the path of wildfires, or on an earthquake fault line, we can experience peace and know that God alone is in control and totally trustworthy. Out-of-control circumstances cannot control us when we place our trust in the One who is Lord of all. Thanks be to God!
 
 
Sovereign God, I thank You that You are in control. I trust in You when life’s circumstances spin out of control. You are my God in whom I trust. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
 
 
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Text and photograph copyright © 2017 by Dawn Dailey. All rights reserved. Photo of Mount Vesuvius as seen from Sorrento, Italy.
 
 
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™