Luke 1: 8-20
The reason this is late is because I was practicing my favorite pastime, procrastination.
I am guilty of that sin more than any other. I don’t know if it is laziness or the thrill of slipping something passed a deadline. I do not think it is noble in any way, shape, or fashion.
In looking at the story of the shepherds form the Christmas story, we have set before us just the opposite of procrastination.
The night lit up, the angels sang, the angel-in-chief announces the birth of Jesus and they are down the road.
Perhaps it is not possible for angels to appear to correct my character flaw but maybe they are here and I am just not paying attention. Exogenous stuff clutters our minds at this time of year. What to buy, travel plans, buying turkeys on sale and many more litter our thoughts and for me it is a lot easier to retreat to the basement and do nothing until the very last minute.
These things are not boulders. They are pebbles. They should not be the fuel for the fire of putting things off. When things stack up it can ruin our attention to the angels that are right here, right now.
Let us be more like the shepherds and just get up and go be a part of joyful part of Christmas.
Mike Bowen
Showing posts with label Bowen M. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bowen M. Show all posts
Saturday, December 22, 2018
Thursday, December 07, 2017
Devotional 12-7-17
Elephants and Crickets
Please read Psalm 1:1-3 and Philippians 4:8
Have you ever had an elephant in your house? Probably not! But if you ever did, you would know exactly where it was. Have you ever had a cricket in your house? Last year I did, and I spent days searching for it. I would listen for that high-pitched chirping, and just when I thought I had found it, the chirping would stop. I spent a lot of time on this little cricket - lookng for it, listening for it. But when I stopped focusing on the cricket, one day it left my house.
At times life brings us “elephants” - the huge ordeals of death, divorce or disease. But for the most part, our days are spent with the circkets: those little things in life that seem to annoy us, stress us, dominate our thougths, and take our minds off more importnat things.
When our days seem full of cicket chatter, we can intentionally tune it out by turning to the Lord through scripture and prayer. We can thing about whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is commendable and worthy of praise. When we are listening for God’s word, we won’t be able to hear the crickets!
Prayer: Gracious God, keep our thougths on you today and how you want to use us in your world. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Michael Vaught (Tennessee)
Published in the Upper Room on December 19, 2014.
Submitted by Mike Bowen.
Have you ever had an elephant in your house? Probably not! But if you ever did, you would know exactly where it was. Have you ever had a cricket in your house? Last year I did, and I spent days searching for it. I would listen for that high-pitched chirping, and just when I thought I had found it, the chirping would stop. I spent a lot of time on this little cricket - lookng for it, listening for it. But when I stopped focusing on the cricket, one day it left my house.
At times life brings us “elephants” - the huge ordeals of death, divorce or disease. But for the most part, our days are spent with the circkets: those little things in life that seem to annoy us, stress us, dominate our thougths, and take our minds off more importnat things.
When our days seem full of cicket chatter, we can intentionally tune it out by turning to the Lord through scripture and prayer. We can thing about whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is commendable and worthy of praise. When we are listening for God’s word, we won’t be able to hear the crickets!
Prayer: Gracious God, keep our thougths on you today and how you want to use us in your world. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Michael Vaught (Tennessee)
Published in the Upper Room on December 19, 2014.
Submitted by Mike Bowen.
Monday, November 28, 2016
Devotional 11-28-16
Matthew 3: 1-12
People would pay any amount of money if someone really knew how to tell the future.
I am sure that most of us would be skeptical of anyone who we encounter on a day to day basis that would make that claim.
I wonder what the mood was among John’s disciples after they had heard his word and become baptized at his exhortations. These people were folks that were searching for something that John had connected with when they heard his word. They did this at some risk of being ostracized and judged by the present religious structure of the day and went to some measure of difficulty to get to where John was preaching.
Now he tells them he is not the One.
I believe the common expression is, “Say what?”
I am sure the inquisitor in all of us would be just as curious as they were.
The best prophets in our Bible are seen in the 21st Century through the rear view mirror of time. The people who heard John’s message and who waited with anticipation rather than skepticism should be our model for this Advent season. Faith, I believe, is defined as hope in things not seen. My hope for you this Advent Season is that each of us finds the hope in that faith throughout the season and new year.
People would pay any amount of money if someone really knew how to tell the future.
I am sure that most of us would be skeptical of anyone who we encounter on a day to day basis that would make that claim.
I wonder what the mood was among John’s disciples after they had heard his word and become baptized at his exhortations. These people were folks that were searching for something that John had connected with when they heard his word. They did this at some risk of being ostracized and judged by the present religious structure of the day and went to some measure of difficulty to get to where John was preaching.
Now he tells them he is not the One.
I believe the common expression is, “Say what?”
I am sure the inquisitor in all of us would be just as curious as they were.
The best prophets in our Bible are seen in the 21st Century through the rear view mirror of time. The people who heard John’s message and who waited with anticipation rather than skepticism should be our model for this Advent season. Faith, I believe, is defined as hope in things not seen. My hope for you this Advent Season is that each of us finds the hope in that faith throughout the season and new year.
Mike Bowen
Monday, December 08, 2014
Devotional 12-8-14
A Checklist, Prayer, and Promise
1 Thessalonians 5:16-24
Lists are big deals this time of year.
I am finding the older I get the more a list helps me. The value of a number 2 Ticonderoga and a scratch pad is a thousand times more valuable than my diminishing memory capacity. Running out of “gigs” quickly.
In this scripture for today we find a very helpful list of things it might be helpful to do every day.
- Rejoice always.
- Pray continually.
- Give thanks in every situation.
- Don’t brush off Spirit inspired messages.
- Examine everything carefully and hang on to what is good.
- Avoid every kind of evil.
Paul knew this was a challenge for the people of Thessalonians and it is even a greater challenge for us today. Paul thought these were worthy enough goals and very tough to hold fast to so he offered a prayer for the new Christians he was addressing, and he offers that same prayer for us and we can use it to pray for each other.
Paul tells us that when we can check these items off our list, it offers us the assurance that we won’t be at this all alone. The one calling you is faithful to do this for us today.
Merry Christmas to all.
Mike Bowen
Friday, December 14, 2012
Devotional 12-14-12
Phil 4: 4-7
I am sure it was during my time with the youth group that I first heard and committed to weak utterly horrible memory this section from the book of Philippians.
However it never had the life until I reached the my early 50’s.
To make a long story short, my mother was diagnosed with an Altzheimers-like dementia that brought with it more fear and uncertainty than I ever anticipated or imagined.
I have a wonderful sister and brother, and we all lived somewhere other than my mother’s home in Lynchburg, Virginia. There were tremendous life altering decisions and circumstances that needed to be made, and I mistakenly assumed that I would know what to do. I didn’t.
At some point in some very bleak nights and 365 mile drives between my home and Lynchburg this is one thing I could remember that offered hope and peace over time.
Another thing. Even in my mom’s very foggy memory she would say the last part of this verse from time to time.
We live in some moments, from time to time, that we all need some hope.
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Merry Christmas.
Mike Bowen
I am sure it was during my time with the youth group that I first heard and committed to weak utterly horrible memory this section from the book of Philippians.
However it never had the life until I reached the my early 50’s.
To make a long story short, my mother was diagnosed with an Altzheimers-like dementia that brought with it more fear and uncertainty than I ever anticipated or imagined.
I have a wonderful sister and brother, and we all lived somewhere other than my mother’s home in Lynchburg, Virginia. There were tremendous life altering decisions and circumstances that needed to be made, and I mistakenly assumed that I would know what to do. I didn’t.
At some point in some very bleak nights and 365 mile drives between my home and Lynchburg this is one thing I could remember that offered hope and peace over time.
Another thing. Even in my mom’s very foggy memory she would say the last part of this verse from time to time.
We live in some moments, from time to time, that we all need some hope.
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Merry Christmas.
Mike Bowen
Friday, December 10, 2010
Devotional 12-10-10
Isaiah 35 1-10
Theoretically, if this gets published since I am late in submission, we as a community are about 15 days away from Christmas. This particular scripture reading is not one that you would think has a place during Advent. I had to read through more than a couple of times to find an appropriate line of thought.
I mean we are talking about being in a desert with all of those negative implications, and the prophet starts thinking about plotting God’s revenge on those that had made the Jewish nation so troubled. Those are not the normal pictures or sentiments that we subscribe to this time of year.
Upon reading through it for the seventh or eighth time, you do hear a message of hope and a celebration of what it is like to have God with us?
Things have gotten more stressful and complex for all of us over the last several years. Changes in health, family structure, our jobs, and being apart of the world in 2010 make things seem as desolate as conditions may be in the most barren of deserts.
With the hope, security, and strength that we have in our God attached to love and peace that come from our own relationships with Emmanuel, even the deserts in our own lives are survivable.
Mike Bowen
Theoretically, if this gets published since I am late in submission, we as a community are about 15 days away from Christmas. This particular scripture reading is not one that you would think has a place during Advent. I had to read through more than a couple of times to find an appropriate line of thought.
I mean we are talking about being in a desert with all of those negative implications, and the prophet starts thinking about plotting God’s revenge on those that had made the Jewish nation so troubled. Those are not the normal pictures or sentiments that we subscribe to this time of year.
Upon reading through it for the seventh or eighth time, you do hear a message of hope and a celebration of what it is like to have God with us?
Things have gotten more stressful and complex for all of us over the last several years. Changes in health, family structure, our jobs, and being apart of the world in 2010 make things seem as desolate as conditions may be in the most barren of deserts.
With the hope, security, and strength that we have in our God attached to love and peace that come from our own relationships with Emmanuel, even the deserts in our own lives are survivable.
Mike Bowen
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Devotional 12-14-09
Micah 5:2-5a
By the time this is published, God willing, Bryan and Sarah will have become the parents of Katelyn Elizabeth Bowen. That allows Lou Etta and me to become grandparents. As the character, Flounder said in the movie Animal House, “Is this great, or what?”
By the time Ms. Kate is old enough to understand the English language I really have some concerns about what impressions she is going to have of the world she will be living in.
Sesame Street, Sponge Bob, and Dora the Explorer can take a little girl so far, but the realities of everyday life start showing themselves in warnings about how dangerous this world can be. I hope that is not all she hears.
As a matter of fact, I think one of the things that Old Grandad may do is share with her the words from Micah to remind her that this world is not run by the 24 hour news cycles of Fox or CNN, and the good news is found in another media altogether.
My hope for all of us is that with all we are exposed to for the rest of the year that this Advent Season we find the triumph of optimism in these pessimistic times.
Mike Bowen
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Devotional 12-29-08
Scripture: Luke 1; 67-80
There is a store in the Ashland area called “Hobby Lobby”. For those of you who have not seen this business, it is a hobby supply store extraordinaire. If you enjoy anything that remotely resembles hobbies you may want to make the trip especially during the Holiday Season. The place is huge.
It is a very overwhelming sensorial experience for those of us that do not share the joy of that particular group of activities. The inventory that they have is by far the most complete and varied of any store I have ever been in.
One of things that I tried to occupy my time with while there was looking at the wooden banner signs that were up along the perimeter of the interior walls. All of the clichéd and humorous bits of wisdom that most people would recognize were displayed.
One, though, caught my eye and made the trip very bearable. I have seen it written or heard it spoken before, but at this moment it resounded and has remained with me since that August afternoon. The sign said, “The quality of your life is not judged by the number of breaths you take, but by the number of moments that take your breath away.”
During this season let us all beware of looking for those moments. It may be in the face of a child, the smile of someone that maybe more chronologically advanced, in the beauty of music, a hug from a friend, fellowship of other Christian brothers and sisters, or in the quiet of the presence of God.
Mike Bowen
There is a store in the Ashland area called “Hobby Lobby”. For those of you who have not seen this business, it is a hobby supply store extraordinaire. If you enjoy anything that remotely resembles hobbies you may want to make the trip especially during the Holiday Season. The place is huge.
It is a very overwhelming sensorial experience for those of us that do not share the joy of that particular group of activities. The inventory that they have is by far the most complete and varied of any store I have ever been in.
One of things that I tried to occupy my time with while there was looking at the wooden banner signs that were up along the perimeter of the interior walls. All of the clichéd and humorous bits of wisdom that most people would recognize were displayed.
One, though, caught my eye and made the trip very bearable. I have seen it written or heard it spoken before, but at this moment it resounded and has remained with me since that August afternoon. The sign said, “The quality of your life is not judged by the number of breaths you take, but by the number of moments that take your breath away.”
During this season let us all beware of looking for those moments. It may be in the face of a child, the smile of someone that maybe more chronologically advanced, in the beauty of music, a hug from a friend, fellowship of other Christian brothers and sisters, or in the quiet of the presence of God.
Mike Bowen
Friday, December 10, 2004
Devotional 12-10-04
PURE JOY
I coached youth baseball for several years. A lot has been written and said about youth baseball over the past several years. Some of it good; some of it less than good.
I want to share with you the best the game can offer, and the joy that it shares with the Christmas season.
One of the first groups I was blessed with had many fine young athletes that were a part of that team. Then there was Anthony.
Nobody ever loved everything about the game more than Anthony. Nobody ever was as excited about coming to practice, getting his uniform, picking up the equipment, learning to keep score, or making out a line up card. Anthony was just not blessed with the same physical skill that made him a great player.
We worked on everything to bring up “AC’s” skill. I played catch with him myself more than any other kid on the team. We tried every method I knew about getting the bat on the ball. We worked for two seasons. The kids were great with Anthony. Nobody ever expected much, so when Anthony tried and was not successful the kids did their best to support him.
At the end of our last season, Anthony and I both knew there were other things Anthony was going to excel with. In our last game of the year, we were playing our league championship game. (Big stuff for 8-9 year old Little League.) It was not a tight game or particularly dramatic until one point late in the game. It was time for Anthony to bat. The kid pitching was struggling with his control, and I could tell Anthony was more than anxious. It was not so much he probably could not hit what this kid was pitching but that this kid was probably going bean Anthony at some point in time during this at bat.
I did not say much to Anthony as he headed to the plate but to watch the ball hit the bat. Anthony climbed into the batters box with his helmet sitting right on top of his glasses, and the bat stuck straight up in the air. Anthony took a couple of pitches and seemed to relax when they were both way outside.
At this point the world stopped. Anthony did not take “big” swings at anything. But the stars were in their alignment and the pitch came into the plate, the bat moved, the bat struck the ball, and the ball rolled into fair territory about six feet from home plate. NOBODY expected this and Anthony’s mad dash for first base was successful. Anthony had a hit. You can imagine all the “Fields of Dreams” you want. Pure joy was at first base and filled a Little League field and half of eastern Cabell County.
Anthony went on to be a very good drummer in a very good marching band at Cabell Midland High School and was headed for a career in computers or pharmacy. But in that one moment in time, I saw the joy we should all feel at Christmas. Anthony’s joy is my own standard for the joy of Christmas, and I hope we all can find some of the same this season.
Mike Bowen
I coached youth baseball for several years. A lot has been written and said about youth baseball over the past several years. Some of it good; some of it less than good.
I want to share with you the best the game can offer, and the joy that it shares with the Christmas season.
One of the first groups I was blessed with had many fine young athletes that were a part of that team. Then there was Anthony.
Nobody ever loved everything about the game more than Anthony. Nobody ever was as excited about coming to practice, getting his uniform, picking up the equipment, learning to keep score, or making out a line up card. Anthony was just not blessed with the same physical skill that made him a great player.
We worked on everything to bring up “AC’s” skill. I played catch with him myself more than any other kid on the team. We tried every method I knew about getting the bat on the ball. We worked for two seasons. The kids were great with Anthony. Nobody ever expected much, so when Anthony tried and was not successful the kids did their best to support him.
At the end of our last season, Anthony and I both knew there were other things Anthony was going to excel with. In our last game of the year, we were playing our league championship game. (Big stuff for 8-9 year old Little League.) It was not a tight game or particularly dramatic until one point late in the game. It was time for Anthony to bat. The kid pitching was struggling with his control, and I could tell Anthony was more than anxious. It was not so much he probably could not hit what this kid was pitching but that this kid was probably going bean Anthony at some point in time during this at bat.
I did not say much to Anthony as he headed to the plate but to watch the ball hit the bat. Anthony climbed into the batters box with his helmet sitting right on top of his glasses, and the bat stuck straight up in the air. Anthony took a couple of pitches and seemed to relax when they were both way outside.
At this point the world stopped. Anthony did not take “big” swings at anything. But the stars were in their alignment and the pitch came into the plate, the bat moved, the bat struck the ball, and the ball rolled into fair territory about six feet from home plate. NOBODY expected this and Anthony’s mad dash for first base was successful. Anthony had a hit. You can imagine all the “Fields of Dreams” you want. Pure joy was at first base and filled a Little League field and half of eastern Cabell County.
Anthony went on to be a very good drummer in a very good marching band at Cabell Midland High School and was headed for a career in computers or pharmacy. But in that one moment in time, I saw the joy we should all feel at Christmas. Anthony’s joy is my own standard for the joy of Christmas, and I hope we all can find some of the same this season.
Mike Bowen
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