Make a Beginning

Now in the second year after their coming to the house of God at Jerusalem, in the second month, Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak made a beginning, together with the rest of their kinsmen, the priests and the Levites and all who had come to Jerusalem from the captivity. They appointed the Levites, from twenty years old and upward, to supervise the work of the house of the Lord.

—Ezra 3:8 ESV (emphasis mine)

I can hear some of you groaning already—just from reading the title of this message. Here we go again! Someone else is pushing me to make a New Year’s resolution.

With everything you hear on TV this time of year, there is no wonder you would suspect nothing less.

When spending the day home alone, I kept the TV on for some company. In the background, I heard others promoting their strategies for losing weight, reducing stress, and becoming financially successful. I even heard one speaker lay out her blueprint for optimum health—a daily dose of Aloe Vera.

If we’re not careful, we can allow these voices to infiltrate our thoughts and lead us on a path to self-destructive thinking. We may feel guilty because we don’t have it all together already or overwhelmed because of all the changes we need to make to live up to these standards, to aright our lives. We may resent having to give up things we enjoy.

Solid Food

I open my mouth and pant, longing for your commands.—Psalm 119:131

One of the delights of being a grandmother is seeing all the changes in my precious granddaughter Addie.  Recently Addie began eating solid foods—well, pureed foods.  Her mother Tara prepares good, wholesome meals for her six month-old, starting with fresh, nutritious foods, like squash, carrots, and apples.  She cooks them till they are palatable and then purees them till they are of a safe consistency for Addie.  The other day I was honored with the pleasure of feeding Addie.  But first I had to situate her in her seat, snap a bib around her neck, and stir the heated food. All the while, Addie eyed the food and wriggled in her seat.  As I spooned the mixture, she opened her mouth and uttered a sound. And so the feeding frenzy ensued.  As soon as she swallowed one spoonful, her mouth was open and panting for the next, longing for more of her delicious meal.