Perfecting the Holidays?

The holidays are coming and I know that as much as I prepare, wrap, decorate, and cook, it will be far from perfect! I decorate a bit like my personality…a bit eclectic and simple. I love to cook and bake but I may have a few things that don’t turn out perfectly. I usually wrap gifts all at once in a hurry and don’t really care if they’re perfectly done. I’m just glad when they’re done.

To be honest, I’m far from having it all together at the holidays. But, I do pray. I pray a lot. I pray about our guests at the holiday, I pray that each guest feels loved and accepted. I pray that I’ll have a peaceful heart as I prepare the dishes. I pray that I can find gifts that truly make people feel special. I pray that God is glorified through all that is said and done.

Why do we stress out at the holidays? Why do we place expectations on ourselves that we can’t fulfill? I’m thankful that God doesn’t see things the way we do! He’s not focused on how perfect our homes look or how polished we look on the outside. And to be honest, I don’t think most people who come to our homes are either! People are longing for relationships, not perfection.

Not only do we seek approval through our holiday performance, but also in education, sports, finances, and our relationships. We are easily sucked into the need to gain, maintain AND achieve people’s approval. How in the world do we stop this crazy cycle?

Check out Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 2:1-4 (NLT)  “When I came to you, dear brothers and sisters, I didn’t use lofty words and impressive wisdom to tell you God’s secret plan. For I decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified. I came to you in weakness- timid and trembling. And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit.”

I want to live like Paul lived. It’s an admonition for us all! He relied on the Holy Spirit to help him because as he admits, his message and preaching were very plain.

Hey Paul! I’ve got the same problem! I feel very plain…especially when it comes to making things look nice at the holidays. When I realize I don’t have to be enough or do enough, holiday preparations change for me!  I already have God’s acceptance and favor. What can people’s acceptance add?

May you enjoy this holiday season and find joy in finding acceptance and favor in God.

“Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.” Galations 1:10

Take a listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTHS4W1bPj8

Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain of the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.

God is Sovereign

On my way home from Dripping Springs last weekend, I was traveling on Route 165 as the sun went down. As I drove down the enormous hill, I saw the most beautiful sunset. The luminous colors were picture-perfect. As I came down the hill towards 281, I saw flashing lights everywhere with police directing traffic to go the opposite way I needed to go. So, I did, for about 2 miles. When I was finally able to turn around and go the correct way, I passed what looked like a multiple-car pileup. I was sobered by all I saw.

As part of that drive, I experienced so much peace and joy from the beauty I saw. Some moments later, I saw a horrific accident that affected people’s lives and shook me to the core. What a contrast!

Perhaps this is a picture of our lives. One minute, we can be on top of the mountain joyously taking it all in, and the next moment, we can be staring at an accident that has seriously affected our lives forever.

How do we handle the highs and lows of life? This election week, we have a choice. How will we respond to the highs and lows of this election? If your candidate gets in or not, will you have a deep trust that God is sovereign over all things that happen?

What does “sovereign” mean? It means “supreme power or authority.” Many people would say that God is sovereign, which means that God is God. He has the supreme power and authority over everything. God’s sovereignty was on display when He sent His Son to reconcile humanity back to Himself so that we could enter into a personal relationship with Jesus.

Instead of freaking out in the highs and lows of life, I am reminded of His perfect love for all of us! He is all-powerful and able to do anything. If we're upset about the election, we can turn to God in prayer instead of going to social media. Any problem or concern we face can be brought to him in prayer.

These verses seem perfect for this week:

“Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.” Jeremiah 32:17

“And looking at them Jesus said to them, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’” Matthew 19:26

“I know that you can do all things and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.” Job 42:2

It’s election time! Putting our faith in a God that is sovereign helps us weather any storm. We learn to trust God completely, not the results of an election. We don’t have to be afraid, but instead, look to God’s sovereignty and find peace and hope. Will you trust Him today and in the days ahead?

Take a listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfA94XxOKiw

Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain of the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.

Election Anxiety

I’m a get ‘er done kind of person, so I decided to vote on the first day of early voting. I noticed the people as I stood in the line that weaved in and out. Everyone seemed calm, some even joking and some making small talk.

I was curious. What if I had walked around to each individual and asked the question: On a scale of 1 to 10, (10 being the highest), how anxious are you about the election? I have a feeling that if people felt the freedom to be honest, there would be a lot of high numbers.

Think about it. What stirs you about this election? What if your candidate doesn’t win? How do you deal with the divisiveness around the country? Is it the headlines, news, and tweets getting to you? Maybe you feel a bit agitated about the noise going on in your head. Election anxiety is real.

I return to a familiar verse as it can guide us through this crucial time: 

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6

Don’t be anxious- In this verse, Paul, the writer, counters our fears and anxieties with a command: Do not be anxious! Don’t worry! The solution is to give these fears we carry over to the One who can do something about them.

Can you identify what you feel fearful or worried about? What brings the greatest concern about the election? Tell God exactly how you feel. He can handle it. He tells us we don’t have to be anxious about ANYTHING! God commands us not to worry!

In every situation- Wow, EVERY situation? So, no matter what I’m going through He promises to give me peace? Yes! God may not change my circumstance, but He will change how I respond toward it, so it doesn’t continue to cause inner turmoil. So, why would I continue to live with fear, worry, and struggle with anxiety when God promises a plan for EVERY situation?

Prayer and petition- In EVERY situation, we are to instead pray to God. God hears us!  As a Christian, I know that Jesus lives in my heart. I desire to abide in Him and He is in me. (John 15:4-11) I can talk to Him throughout my day and practice casting all my cares and concerns on Him. (For example: “Lord, help me with my fears about the election. Help me trust in You knowing You are sovereign over all, no matter what happens….”)  Remember, there is nothing too great and small that we cannot give to the Lord. He cares, listens, and answers our prayers.

With thanksgiving- I THANK God for all that’s going on in my life! I literally practice giving Him thanks and praise because He is worthy! (Thank you, God, that we live in the United States of America. Thank You, God, for our freedoms. Thank You, God, for being faithful! Thank You, God, that You are good all the time.) Practice being a grateful human being!

The election is a week away. Don’t be anxious. Pray about everything. Give thanks in all things. We’re going to be ok. God is sovereign over all.

Take a listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uW6xcmqfiY4

Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain of the YMCA of Greater San Antonio. 

When Things Don't Go as Planned

I went to the dentist early Wednesday morning thinking I had a small issue. I left two and a half hours later with a sore, swollen mouth and two new side-by-side crowns! So. Much. Fun.

I truly do have the best dentist ever! She has a brand-new office decorated in bright pink. If you’re lucky, you may get to sit in the pink room with the pink chair. Even saying all this good about my dentist, she’s still a dentist. The drilling of the old crowns lasted a good thirty minutes. Who doesn’t like that lovely sound of an electric dental drill digging deep into your teeth?

I surely didn’t have a 2.5-hour dentist appointment on my agenda that day! I was in semi-misery the rest of the day as my teeth were super mad from all they had endured. 

Sometimes things don’t go as planned, do they? It's a reminder that we are never in control as much as we’d like to be.

When God’s people received a letter of encouragement from Jeremiah, they were in exile in Babylon. Can you imagine what it would be like to live under the domination of your enemies? How would it feel to leave your homeland and settle in a foreign country? So, Jeremiah spoke the following words to the people during hardship and suffering:

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11

God didn’t immediately remove them from the situation in Babylon. Instead, God promised that He had a plan to prosper them during their current situation. Then, God proclaims through Jeremiah that when you "Call on me and come and pray to me, I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you see me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:12-13)

Wow! God is with us and has a plan when our plans don’t go our way. When God leads us into difficult seasons, it’s not to punish us. He knows exactly what’s going on in our lives and cares for us perfectly.

How do you deal with plans that don’t turn out exactly as you'd envision? Do you believe that God holds the plans for our lives? We don’t have to worry about our future! Instead, we are to trust Him for each moment. 

Don’t miss this! God promised that if they sought Him with all their heart, they would find Him. Today, Jesus invites us to seek Him. He meets us in the dentist's office. He is present in hurricanes. He cares for us in sickness and pain. He calms us in election anxiety. He's with us also when everything is clicking on all cylinders. The question remains: Will you trust Him?

Take a listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOuRS7x55Nc

Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain of the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.

Surpasses All Understanding

 In the craziness of this last week, I find it hard to experience that “peace that surpasses all understanding.” Watching all the hurricane clean-up in North Carolina, the fears and turmoil with Hurricane Milton, and the election rhetoric, I was ready for a quiet vacation on a remote island without internet access.

But as I started thinking about it, I didn’t need a vacation to a remote island… I needed God’s peace.

Sometimes, because we don’t understand the Bible, we give no thought to its meaning in our own lives. The Word of God is alive and active and has great meaning for us if we would only take time to read it. (Hebrews 4:12) Might it be wise for us to seek understanding through God’s Word? Consider this verse:

“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 4:6-8

I like the idea of having a peace that surpasses all understanding. All for it! That peace doesn’t come from something we concoct. The word surpass means: “exceed; to be greater than.” This kind of peace is greater than we can comprehend! I want that kind of peace, don’t you?

What would it mean if you and I had a peace that passes all understanding? It would mean that no matter what life throws at us, we can still have joy when we know that our victory lies in Jesus and not our circumstances. I think if we enjoyed a peace that surpasses all understanding we would exhibit a calmness of body, mind, and spirit that supersedes our circumstance. It’s not a natural peace, but a supernatural one.

It’s our circumstances that can destroy our peace. I tell you, when I focus on my circumstances and some of the challenges I face now, I can get discouraged. It’s in those moments of chaos that peace seems most elusive. My joy and peace will come and go, depending on the outcome of my circumstances. When I focus on Jesus and turn my worries to prayers, I can experience joy and peace, despite my circumstances.

This is a unique time in our lives. A lot is going on! The peace of God covers us like a warm cozy blanket when we stop worrying and instead pray about everything. Set your thoughts on Jesus and what He has done for you. In His presence, we find everything we need.

“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.” John 14:27

Take a listen: Peace (Bethel Music) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uW6xcmqfiY4

Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain of the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.

Even Though

It’s so incredibly heartbreaking to see the massive destruction and loss of life in North Carolina and other states. I’m so grateful for the many organizations going in to serve, rescue, provide resources, and bring hope and healing to many.

There are so many stories and more to come. This one had me in tears:

Megan Dryer, from NC, got her seven-year-old son, Micah, to the highest point of their house that she could, when things got dangerous. But once the house detached, they ran into powerlines and trees and knocked them off into the water. That’s when she and Micah went under. She could hear her parents (in their 70’s) screaming but lost sight of them. They were fighting for their lives. Micah couldn’t swim. The last thing she heard from Micah was “Jesus, please save me.” That’s when they separated in the water. They all got knocked into the water in different ways. She didn’t see them again. She continued to float down the water for 5 hours and finally got trapped in a tree. She was rescued. Her parents and son, Micah, perished.
Listen to Megan's story in its entirety here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8IKat8FDME

I can’t imagine losing one’s son and just a few days later, sharing the story on TV. Unimaginable. We look at Megan’s story and all the stories and pictures that we’ve seen that leave us undone. So many unaccounted for. So many families who have lost everything. How in the world do we make sense of this? The word being used to describe all this suffering is apocalyptic.

How DO we make sense of it all? Jesus is not a distant and disconnected Savior when bad things come our way. Jesus shows up in the messes and madness of life. Jesus is present in the suffering. Jesus is present with those in pain. Jesus is present with those who are bringing help and hope to those hurting. We need more of Jesus in our suffering.

Psalm 23:4 says, “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me, your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”  This is how we should regard the dark times of our lives. Whatever is causing us to feel as if we’re walking in uncertainty, confusion, and peril, these are the dark times. We don’t have to fear, even though that may feel impossible. If we know Jesus, God has given us victory over every circumstance because of Jesus’ finished work on the cross.

In reading Psalm 23, we need to remember that we are the Lord’s sheep, and He is our shepherd. It’s a reminder that being his sheep means we fully need to depend upon Him. The Lord is our shepherd. He knows all things. We don’t understand all His ways. But He promises He will guide us through the dark valleys. He is WITH us and will NEVER leave us.

God’s promises are real…. even in this desperate time for so many. And for those who are watching this from afar.....As you hear the news, turn it into a prayer for those suffering. Pray for resources, help, hope, healing, and a pathway back to normalcy. As you hear of ways to give, give. (Samaritan’s Purse, YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly, Red Cross, and Texans on Mission are a few ways to give.) May the Lord bring healing and hope to all who are suffering today.

When I don't know what to do or how to worship, I find this song comforting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJCV_2H9xD0

Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain of the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.

Storms

Wouldn’t it be nice to live a storm-free life? We watched with horror this weekend as Hurricane Helene went through Florida and up the East Coast. How many Floridians and other states are just weary of hurricanes?  I can’t imagine how hard it must be to have a few days warning to pack up, leave one’s home, and drive away to safety, not knowing what will be left when you get home. Now, we learn that many couldn't drive away! Let's not stop praying for all those affected by Helene's effects. 

Other types of storms hit us out of left field too. A cancer diagnosis. Stress upon stress at work. Political divisiveness. A loss of a loved one. Betrayal from a friend. An unexpected life-changing illness. Sooner or later, we’re all hit with some type of storm.

Jesus knew about storms. He knew about calming the storm. Check out how he handled the storm in Mark 4:35-41-

“That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

He got up, rebuked the wind, and said to the waves “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith? “They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey Him!”

The disciples did what we often do! When things get tough around us, we turn to God and say “Don’t you care?” Jesus immediately got up, rebuked the wind, and told the waves to be still. Then, Jesus asked a question: “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

God has promised to give us Himself and His peace. John 14:27 says “My peace I give you.” Then, in Isaiah 26:3 it says, “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You, all whose thoughts are fixed on You.” The verse in Isaiah has been such a promise to me! He is ready to give me perfect peace as I keep my thoughts fixed on Him! Truly, what would it look like for you and me to have our thoughts fixed on Him throughout the day?

We sabotage our peace when we fixate our minds on all our storms. God’s peace is such a beautiful gift…. what keeps us from receiving this gift? Will we trust God when the waves go over the boat and we feel like we’re going to drown? Jesus does care. He cares more than you’ll know because He loves you so much. May You trust God in the storms that come your way.

“The Lord is near, don’t be anxious about anything. In every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God, and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:5-7

Take a Listen:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cjx1ehd5LhM

Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain of the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.