Healing and Reconciliation, Holidays

A Very Merry Christmas

Amy Larson

Glory to God in the highest!

Luke‬ ‭2:14‬

Every year around this time, I am reminded of the miracle God performed in our lives. It’s never lost on me the mighty work the Lord orchestrated when He brought Tommy and I back together. It was exactly three years ago that we officially said “I do” the second time. While we discussed a small ceremony on our original date in April, we decided not to delay and made a trip to the courthouse in order to finalize our vows.

The night before, I was still wrestling with the idea of committing to marriage. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to remarry Tommy, but I felt like I was unworthy of his love. There were so many things I hadn’t communicated with him during our time apart. I feared if he knew the truth of my sinful past, he wouldn’t want me as his wife. When I shared my hesitation, Tommy responded in a way that I will never forget. It was the most beautiful expression of human love I have ever experienced.

As I was crying and trying to utter words barely comprehensible, Tommy placed his hands on mine and consoled me. He said, “nothing you may have or may have not done will ever make me love you any less. Regardless of what has happened, I still want you to be my wife.” He even went as far as to say that any sin on my behalf was partially due to his failure to lead as my husband. With those words, I was reminded of the unconditional love God had granted me. Tommy demonstrated an earthly love greater than I had ever know, far greater than I deserved, a love that had no limitations or boundaries and was only possible with the help of the Holy Spirit.

The next morning, we headed to the courthouse with our youngest son in tow. I was still nervous, but was completely confident in the direction that God was leading. That day, I chose to be obedient. And, in choosing obedience, with God’s amazing sense of humor, I was placed at ease when I said “I do” in front of the county clerk decked out in the ugliest Christmas sweater I have ever seen! It was perfect, and it’s a day I now look back on with joy and laughter.

Dear friends, God still performs miracles in the lives of His children. Every year I capture photos for our Christmas cards, I reflect on the power of His hand at work in our lives. God did what we didn’t have the ability to do. He resurrected our marriage and fully restored us to Himself, and to God we owe all the glory!

From our family to yours, we wish you all a very Merry Christmas!

Uncategorized

A Life Interrupted

Amy Larson

Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.

Matthew 1:18-25

This Sunday, in our bible fellowship class, we discussed unexpected events that have occured in our lives and how we have handled those situations. As everyone was openly sharing, I thought back to my personal life experiences. In some situations, I responded in a godly manner, but in others, I confess, I failed miserably. After briefly evaluating the times in which I responded poorly, I realized those were situations I lacked faith and lost hope in God’s ability to work all things together for the good in my life.

There are numerous examples throughout scripture that speak to a life interrupted. But, I would like to turn our attention to one of the unassuming heroes in the genealogy of Christ, Mary’s husband and Jesus’ earthly father, Joseph. Although there isn’t much information provided on the life of Joseph, we can learn some valuable lessons from the little that we do know. We are told in the first chapters of Matthew and Luke that Joseph and Mary were betrothed or engaged to be married. They had spent some time apart as Mary visited Elizabeth for several months. When she returned to her home, Joseph learned that Mary was pregnant, yet they had not been intimate. Talk about a major unexpected life event! So, how did Joseph respond?

Joseph wasn’t interested in shaming Mary publically, but resolved to divorce her quietly. His first response was to show a tremendous amount of mercy towards her instead of exposing her perceived sin. The bible describes Joseph as a just man, a man of great compassion that demonstrated a heart prone to forgiveness rather than a heart bent on revenge. The character traits he displayed do not come naturally. We can assume Joseph was an upright man that followed the teachings of Judiasm, a man of integrity that cared deeply for Mary and her future.

Given the situation, it would have been easy to listen to human reasoning and desire justice for Mary’s betrayal. As he was considering next steps, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. The angel communicated detailed information to Joseph. He was told the baby was conceived by the Holy Spirit. The baby was a boy and his name was to be called Jesus, the Savior of the world. Again, Joseph responded in a godly manner. He did as the angel commanded and was obedient by taking Mary as his wife. I’m sure he didn’t fully understand all of the changes that were taking place in his life at the time, but nonetheless, he chose to follow God’s guidance.

Dear friends, It takes great faith to trust God is in complete control, especially when we find ourselves in situations that are unexpected or don’t make sense at the time. By choosing obedience, Joseph showed he feared God more than he feared the opinions of man. He believed in God’s good provision for his life and placed His hope in the Lord. We are often called to make hard decisions, to stand on God’s promises and move in a direction that may feel uncomfortable. When met with adversity, let’s follow Joseph’s example. Let’s be quick to listen, slow to speak and consult with the Lord each and every step of the way.

In Christ,

Amy Larson

Spiritual Warfare, Temptation

Don’t Be Complacent

Tommy Larson

They have all fallen away; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one.

Psalm 53:5

If you are standing for your marriage or have experienced the Lord miraculously restore the relationship between you and your spouse, there may come a point when you become comfortable or lax in your walk with Jesus. If you are like me, the desire to possess an intimate and close fellowship with the Savior can be a struggle. Far too often, the very things that should rightfully occupy the inner parts of our hearts take a back seat to what is fleshly, temporal and fleeting.

Recently, I’ve become aware of areas in my own life where complacency has taken hold. What has become clear and glaringly apparent is the fact that this attitude usually is a result of our unwillingness to be proactive and intentional in our pursuit of righteousness on a routine basis. Unfortunately, deviation from deliberate efforts to fully submit to God have the potential to put us in situations where our hearts can become vulnerable to the attacks from the enemy. It’s a dangerous place to be and an environment we as believers should always seek to avoid.

So vitally important to understand is that none of us are above reproach and what exists in our hearts will never come close to being good. In fact, what is there is described as deceptive and wicked by the Word of God. This should serve as a sobering reminder should any think he or she is beyond scrutiny and incapable of turning astray. I’m reminded of the story of Peter and the circumstances that led to his denying Christ three times. Surely if any person had a right relationship with the Lord it would be Peter, right? One can easily assume this, but if we view this apostle from a lens focused squarely on his human imperfections and sin nature, it becomes easier to understand how this event likely occurred.

Before Peter’s outward denying of the Savior, there were already failures at the heart level. In other words, the spiritual battle Peter was in had already been lost long before the infamous cursing came from his lips. As Scripture tells us, it is out of the abundance of the heart, that our mouths speak. This is also true of what we do with our hands, think in our head, or look upon with our eyes. It all begins in the heart. It is due to this corruption that the sinful and ungodly actions of the flesh are born out and made manifest.

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

1 Peter 5:8

At this point, you may be thinking to yourself that if someone like Peter who was so close to Christ fell so easily, what hope do we have? The answer is simple. The hope you have is not in yourself or in your ability to fight the enemy on your own. Your hope is in Jesus. He is the one able to strengthen and equip you. His Word is what prepares you for battle and provides you the armor to withstand the attacks of the evil one. We must rely on Him completely and not leave ourselves vulnerable by assuming anything concerning the virtue and integrity we foolishly think we possess.

There were times in my stand when I did feel extremely confident about my walk with the Lord and the work He had done in my life. But even in those moments, there was danger lurking at every corner seeking to lead me astray. It was only by the grace of God and the empowering of the Holy Spirit that potentially harmful situations and opportunities were kept at bay.

The challenge we all face is clear. A relentless enemy is on the attack. He will use anyone and anything to lead us down the path of darkness. Be constantly aware of these dangerous snares and entrapments. Don’t let your vulnerabilities during these valley experiences allow the evil one to gain access to the doors of your heart. Purpose now to cling to the cross. May we all remain broken before Jesus and understand the importance of our full and complete submission to Him. It is only through Christ that victory will be found.

In Christ,

Tommy Larson