The After-Oakdale Chronicles

a great day to share the joy.

“…but the angel reassured them, ‘Don’t be afraid!’ He said. ‘I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.”  Luke 2:10 NLT

Somewhere not very far away from each and every one of us are people who are alone and whose lives are extremely challenging at this time of year.

Perhaps we have an elderly neighbor we are aware of who lives alone and received no visits from family. Maybe we know someone from work in a similar situation. Possibly there is a nursing home or hospital nearby.

People we may not even know need us.

They need us to spread the joy that we are feeling by bringing them cookies, brownies, candy, flowers – the list is endless really. They need us to wish them a “Merry Christmas!” and they need to feel as happy as we can possibly make them.

Millions of us will run off to stores and malls to return gifts that don’t fit or simply are not something we need or will use. Is shopping the best way to show our thanks for God’s gift?

Sharing is a much better way and it is one in which lessons can be learned by our children, and by ourselves.

Poor people are not always simply poor in a material sense. They can be lacking friends and family, or simply be poor in spirit. Stopping by a nursing home with boxes of cookies and a cheerful smile could be the best thing that happens this year to many of our forgotten brothers and sisters.

“As the Scriptures say, ‘They share freely and give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will be remembered forever.’” (2 Corinthians 9:9 NLT).

Sharing the joy of the season that everyone should experience does not have to be complicated, expensive, or terribly time consuming. But to see someone’s face light up because someone else has taken the time to wish them a “Merry Christmas!” will probably go into your memory bank as one of your most valuable deposits.

And as a lesson in sharing and fellowship for our children to learn, there are few opportunities that can come close to being this special or this important.

Making time for someone who is lonely is also making time for you to do the will of God and to share the joy that He gives you.

Cake, cookies, candy and kindness are all special things to share with someone near you. It just may turn out to be the best day of the year.

Use God’s Gift of Today to share the joy He gives you.

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Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson

an awesome day to thank God for the greatest gift of all.

“Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord.”  Luke 2:11 NIV

As the title of this book reminds us, each and every day is a gift from God.

The days of our lives are precious, each and every one. They hold out promise and hope. The days of our lives are among the most valuable of all gifts that God gives us, and the different gifts He has given us are many, as the daily thoughts in this book have attempted to demonstrate.

But the most precious gift ever given by the One who gave us this world in which to live – and the very lives with which to enjoy it – was the gift of His Son Jesus Christ, the One whose birth would change the world forever.

Zechariah used these beautiful words to describe the gift that the world would soon be given: “Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.” (Luke 1:79 NLT).

Well, the morning has broken, and it is surely a beautiful day!

Jesus came to occupy our hearts, but it is not a forced occupation. We must want Him there, and we must seek the light that He will shine upon those dark areas of our souls to which we would like to say good-bye. We must desire the life that will come, when we learn the savior’s lessons, that will teach us to die to ourselves.

We must volunteer to serve and be willing to sacrifice all that we are and all that we have in order to receive all that He came to give.

Hopefully we are all aware that we must thank God each and every day for all of His grace, all of His love, and all of His mercy. But on this day that has been set aside to mark the arrival of the most valuable gift ever given, we must all be sure to give special thanks to God.

With this gift in our possession, we can feed those who are hungry, clothe those who are naked, house those who are homeless, and heal those who are sick.

With this gift we can refuse to fall prey to the temptations of the evil one and those he has corrupted on this earth.

With this gift we can live our lives in a significant manner and we can understand the concept of humble service to our brothers and sisters.

By accepting this remarkable, priceless gift of love, we can be better spouses, better parents, better friends, and better neighbors.

So let us all humbly, gratefully, joyfully, and tearfully accept this gift and say, “Thank You” to Almighty God.

Merry Christmas!

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Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson

a superb day to pray for peace.

“God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.”  Matthew 5:9 NLT

All of the chaotic preparations of the season have begun to wind down.

Last minute shopping, wrapping, baking, cooking, traveling; all of these things begin to end and we are ready to enjoy our families, our friends, our neighbors.

Businesses begin to close early – those that are actually still trying to get things done – and a quiet begins to descend on our communities.

All that we have done to celebrate this time of year is acceptable to God. He loves to hear our laughter, and the sound of excited children. He loves our music and He wants families and friends to draw closer, be nicer, and love each other.

But God also wants each one of us to reach out and pray for peace throughout the world.

Some people laugh or become cynical at the mere thought or mention of world peace, but this is something that would truly please God because we cannot have peace throughout the world without people loving each other, respecting each other’s differences, and being concerned for each other’s health and welfare.

World peace is not something that is just for beauty pageant contestants to hope for, and it is certainly not something to laugh about or refuse to think about simply because we see so many obstacles to realizing it.

World peace should be in our prayers every day, but especially on this day.

We should gather our families and thank God for our good fortune and for the love we share with one another, and we should use this time as an opportunity to collectively ask God to use His power to help make us all kinder, gentler, and more compassionate. We should take this little bit of time to teach our children the importance of giving thanks and giving the gift of prayer for peace throughout this world that God created for us to share with one another.

Those who feel that world peace is impossible are the very people that Jesus Christ was talking about when He said, “You don’t have enough faith,’ Jesus told them. ’I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.’” (Matthew 17:20 NLT).

Use the gift of prayer and your faith to move the mountains of hate, war, persecution and oppression.

As we make final preparations to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, use the gift of this day to pray to God for peace throughout the world.

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Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson

a fine day to pray for satisfaction.

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”  Matthew 5:6 NASB

Today we are going to pray again, only this time, our prayer will be for our satisfaction.

No?

Too self-centered?

Too selfish?

Christ said that if we hunger and thirst for righteousness, we “shall be satisfied.” So if we take the gift of today and pray for God to, “Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.” (Psalm 82:3-4 NIV), are we not exhibiting a hunger and thirst for righteousness?

And are we not blessed by God for this and satisfied?

Prayer for other people who need it desperately will provide us with the satisfaction that we are reaching out to millions of people we will probably never meet, and are making a difference in their lives. Prayer to God is a powerful tool in the fight against injustice and there is little that is more unjust than starving children, orphans and others who live their lives in a simple daily quest of survival.

At this time of year, many people open up their purse strings in a generous spirit to give friends and family wonderful gifts that express their love. But there are so many millions who have nothing to give, and who need so much for themselves.

“Lord, You know the hopes of the helpless. Surely You will hear their cries and comfort them.” (Psalm 10:17 NLT).

But millions of people around the world do not know to cry out to God for help. It then becomes our responsibility to cry out for them.

While it is perfectly acceptable to smile, be happy, enjoy friends and family, and exchange gifts at this time of year, it is also a very important time to pray to God to give us satisfaction by calling upon Him to strike down those who would prey upon the poor and oppressed of the world.

“Arise, O Lord; O God, lift up Your hand. Do not forget the afflicted.” (Psalm 10:12 NASB).

So many think that they can walk unnoticed upon the backs of the weak.

“But You see the trouble and grief they cause. You take note of it and punish them. The helpless put their trust in You. You defend the orphans.” (Psalm 10:14 NLT).

God understands that perhaps our finances are limited, so there is not much we can do, although we do all that we can. But the power of prayer can never be emphasized enough, so if we pray several times throughout the day for justice for the poor and the oppressed, we are doing something positive, something that will help, and something that will bring us satisfaction.

And today is a fine day to pray for that.

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Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson

a terrific day to whistle while you work.

“And it is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it. To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life – this is indeed a gift from God.”  Ecclesiastes 5:19 NLT

Attitude.

We all know people who have a good attitude, and of course those who have a bad attitude.

But what do people say about our attitude?

If our relationship with God is a strong one, our attitude about every aspect of our life will be upbeat, positive, and cheerful, and people will notice this.

“Perhaps,” you say, “But what about during times of loss and tragedy? Will we be ‘upbeat, positive, and cheerful’ then?”

Certainly there will be times when sadness will enter our lives. But our attitude toward whatever it is that is making us sad will have a definite affect on our ability to cope and people will notice this as well.

When our relationship with God is strong, we try to see lessons in everything that happens to us, and around us. We want to use whatever comes our way in this life to help us become closer to God. The right attitude will find us always relying on God when we face trying situations, but the right attitude will also find us thanking God, humbly, when the days of our lives are truly blessed with happiness as well.

Our attitude reaches into every corner of our life. It determines our willingness to accept another person despite whatever differences that we may have. It determines whether unpleasant or mundane tasks are undertaken with enthusiasm and the same level of attention to detail as those tasks we enjoy.

Our ability to “whistle while we work” grows out of a good attitude and a good relationship with God can help us to, “Pucker up and blow,” as Marilyn Monroe once said.

Ruth’s quiet determination to pick from the fields what was left by the harvesters reflected her good attitude towards work. Her industriousness was noticed by Boaz when he came to inspect his fields and he asked his foreman about her.

“The servant in charge of the reapers replied, ‘She is the young Moabite woman who returned with Naomi from the land of Moab.’” (Ruth 2:6 NASB).

Her good attitude was rewarded even though she was looking for no reward. This is just a small example of how a good attitude can affect our lives in a positive way. Of course, it is important to ask God to help us always maintain a good attitude and a good relationship with Him will help to bring that about.

Our attitudes can reflect the selfishness of the world around us if we so choose, but an attitude that reflects the humility and self-sacrifice of Christ will help us to “whistle while we work.”

And that will be music to God’s ears.

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Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson

a good day to acknowledge that all you need is God.

“David said to the Philistine, ‘You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.’”  1 Samuel 17:45 NIV

Of the eight sons of Jesse, David was the youngest and least experienced in war. Unlike the rest of his brothers, as well as the entire army of Israelites, when David looked at Goliath he did not see a giant who was to be feared.

Instead, he saw an ordinary man in defiance of God.

While his brothers, and even King Saul, thought the idea of David facing Goliath in battle was ludicrous, David’s only thought was victory for God.

Armed with his faith in God, David told Goliath exactly who would defeat him. “This day the Lord will hand you over to me, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head.” (1 Samuel 17:46a NIV).

David knew that God would claim victory through him and his faith. While David would physically slay Goliath, it would only be possible because of God.

“All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s and He will give all of you into our hands.” (1 Samuel 17:47 NIV).

David taught us that when we are doing the will of God there is no possibility of defeat. David also taught us to have confidence in ourselves when we are fighting battles in God’s name.

Because of his faith, David reaped great rewards. This is something of which we all need to take note. If we can establish a relationship with God where our lives are lived with the goal of doing His will, we will find a path to rewards beyond our wildest dreams. Of course, not all of those rewards will be material. The biggest rewards will come with the knowledge of the lives we have touched and the relationships we have established, all in service to God.

When we ask God what He wants us to do, “You won’t spend the rest of your lives chasing your own desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God.” (1 Peter 4:2 NLT).

Sometimes we get so caught up in complicating things that we forget how incredibly simple it all was when it began. God created a diverse world of beauty and wonder. He created birds to fill the air with music, and He created a multitude of creatures to walk the earth. He populated the oceans with fish of all different shapes and sizes, and planted trees that produced delicious fruits and scattered flowers about to add color and to scent the air. He created man and woman for no other purpose than to care for, and enjoy, what He had created.

When He left them alone He did not leave a long list of instructions. There were no cumbersome rules and regulations to follow. There was one simple rule – do not eat the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

We all know that did not work out so well.

But we all have another opportunity to live uncomplicated lives. All we have to do is live for God. If we make our relationship with Him one of the complete faith and trust of David, then God will lead us to a life worth living and no one – not even a Goliath – will be able to stand in our way.

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Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson

a perfect day to be led astray.

“The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, and they said to them, ‘Why did you not bring Him?’”  John 7:45 NASB

When the religious leaders and Pharisees sent the temple guards to arrest Jesus, they returned empty handed. When they were asked why they had not done what they were instructed, “The officers answered, ‘Never has a man spoken the way this man speaks.’” (John 7:46 NASB).

Of course, the religious leaders were incredulous. Not fully believing the response, “The Pharisees then answered them, ‘You have not also been led astray, have you?’” (John 7:47 NASB).

If we, like the soldiers, have been led astray by the words that Jesus spoke, then the only thing we can do is – Praise God!

It is unusual, perhaps, to “Praise God” for being led astray, but if this is what the religious leaders of Jesus’ day consider being led astray, then there is not much else that we can do.

The truth of the matter is that the soldiers were not really led astray, they were led to the truth.

The religious leaders and the Pharisees could not see the truth because it did not meet their expectations of what the truth should have been. When God selected Mary to give birth to Christ – a birth which we are preparing to celebrate in just a few days – He did not find it necessary to consult with anyone else before He made that selection. He saw in Mary’s heart what He needed to see to make His choice. The fact that the One He sent to save the world did not meet the expectations of the most learned religious leaders of the day has caused many people through history to believe that those who recognized Christ as the One sent by God to offer salvation to the world and to die for the sins of all mankind, were all led astray.

In actuality, those who really are being led astray are those who fail to accept the gift that Christ was sent to offer with His ultimate death on the Cross.

If being led astray means that we are lining up behind Jesus Christ to follow Him into the Kingdom of God, then let us pray that we are all led astray.

If being led astray means that we are being led to an everlasting life full of peace, joy, happiness, and love, then the choice is clear.

God sent His Son to us in exactly the way that He chose to, and if we choose to follow Him and be “led astray” then we have made the right choice.

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Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson

an excellent day to avoid the crush.

“Though we are overwhelmed by our sins, You forgive them all.”  Psalm 65:3 NLT

This time of year is a difficult one for millions of people.

Many people simply feel the crush of the season as “the day” approaches. Shopping, parties, family, friends – all good things, certainly, but each one adds to the burden that we carry. The good news for all of these people is that Christmas Day acts as a safety valve, and once it arrives, the pressure is off and many people relax and enjoy the peace and goodwill that seems to settle over the world, if only briefly.

Millions of others feel the weight of the season in an entirely different way.

Millions dread the arrival of this time of year and many face severe bouts of depression and loneliness. Many of us are overcome with negativity and bring their self-worth into question. Many of us feel the weight of our sins and do not know how to keep from being crushed under that weight. There is no time that is a good time to feel the burden we feel when we are overwhelmed by our sins, but this time of year seems to make us more aware of the oppressive weight on our souls that comes as a result.

If we fall into the first group, there is not much that can help beyond patience – it will all be over soon.

If we fall into the second group we need to turn to God and ask for His help. We also need the prayers of those in the first group.

Sometimes we feel that we have nowhere to turn. Our actions have caused us to dig ourselves deeper and deeper into darkness. We see no way out, other than to fill the hole in on top of ourselves, and the ability to see any light at the end of our personal tunnel has long since left us. We have forgotten that this season of joy, which we have allowed to become an additional weight on us, signifies the birth of the very One who can remove that weight from our shoulders and lift us up out of the hole that we have dug.

There is no problem that we have that is too big for our Lord. There is no sin too great that cannot be forgiven if we accept Christ into our life, repent of our sins, and ask forgiveness. There is no darkness that cannot be thrown into comforting light by the grace and glory of God if we will only reach out and ask God to take our hand.

Far too many people choose this time of year to pronounce a death sentence upon themselves. Pray for those who would take their life with their own hand and ask God to help them reach out for His hand instead so He may lift them up from under their burden.

And no matter what form, or how severe, any crushing burden we may be experiencing, there is help in the form of the Hope that was given to us all so long ago if we can only have the faith to accept it.

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Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson

a fine day to accept the appointment.

“I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that He considered me faithful, appointing me to His service.”  1Timothy 1:12 NIV

Given Paul’s background as an ardent persecutor of those who followed Christ, he would appear to be an unusual selection by Christ for one to serve Him.

Or so our human minds would think.

It is important to constantly remind ourselves that God sees into places we cannot see and knows things about us that we don’t even know.

The story of Paul is a great one on many levels, but one of the most encouraging lessons to be learned from Paul is that God will use us, regardless of our past, if we will only let Him. Paul could have refused the appointment, but he did not.This can only show that his heart was good in places that he couldn’t see. It took God to bring out his best, but it took Paul to let Him and to follow His instructions for service.

One of the things that distinguished Paul from many others was his commitment to travel in spite of the hardships that travel in those days presented and spread the Good News about Christ to everyone he met. He recognized the importance of the instruction Christ had given to His disciples when He said, “So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask Him to send more workers into His fields.” (Matthew 9:38 NLT).

God is trying to appoint all of us to become “Pauls” as well. The question is, “How many of us will accept that appointment?”

If we have doubts, we need to examine the cause of those doubts. Perhaps we have had “checkered” pasts. Maybe even darker than checkered. Jesus told His disciples that, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.” (Matthew 9:37 NASB).

He was speaking about the abundance of people eager to be led to salvation and He was calling for prayer for those who would be willing to be appointed to be workers for Christ. If Paul, given his background, can accept the appointment of Christ, then the person who should feel unworthy of service because of their past simply cannot exist.

If Paul can do it, so can you.

How we have lived our lives in the past is of no concern. How we are willing to live our lives in the future is all that is important. If Christ is calling you – if Christ is trying to appoint you – it is because He sees in you what may not yet be visible to you.

It is not our place to second guess Him.

We must pray for courage to accept the appointment to serve Christ and not let our past hold us back from our future.

And we must pray that others will accept the appointment as well, because “the harvest is plentiful.”

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Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson

a wonderful day for some personal protection.

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, nor will the flame burn you.”  Isaiah43:2 NASB

In the early days of this country there was little thought given to the need for protection of the president. In fact, people off the street could line up to speak with the man in charge.

After Lincoln was assassinated, the act of personal protection for the president was undertaken in earnest. Today, the protection of the President of the United States runs into the tens of millions of dollars each year, and the chance of an average citizen sitting down with him – or her – to express their concerns is remote at best.

The private personal protection business has grown around the entire world as dangers seem to multiply exponentially with each passing year. Not only heads of state, but well-known celebrities and highly paid executives also spend fortunes on personal protection.

All of us need personal protection, but who can afford body guards and armored limousines? Of course, most of us do not require that particular level of protection, but we do need protection from temptation, from satan, from those who would try to lead us in the wrong direction, and, sometimes we even need protection from ourselves.

So where do we go for this personal protection?

We turn to God, through Jesus Christ and accept the salvation that Christ’s death on the cross holds out to us.

We then join others like us, “…who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” (1 Peter 1:5NASB).

The protection that God offers us has been paid for with the death of the One who is priceless. There is no way we can humanly calculate the value of the security that we can obtain when we take shelter in the Lord.

Those who choose to reject Christ and live in sin and promote evil will pay a price one day, and it will be beyond description. It will also be one that they will not want to pay when they find out what it is.

“But let all who take refuge in You be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread Your protection over them, that those who love Your name may rejoice in You.” (Psalm 5:11 NIV).

God will never step out of a limousine with dark glasses and a hidden microphone to make sure the coast is clear and to be on the alert for danger, but the level of protection He provides us cannot be purchased and cannot be matched.

The gift of personal protection is offered to us all, and today is a wonderful day to accept it.

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Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson