When Scott and I are enjoying a meal out, I often encourage him to order something extra. For example, I might prod, “I bet their onion rings are good here; maybe you should order some.” He knows full well, I plan on eating some of those onion rings. Same is true with dessert. “ Did you save room for dessert? They have your favorite.” If he doesn’t order it, how can he share it with me?
If you don’t have the love of Jesus, how can you share it? If you don’t spend time in the word and in prayer, how can you share those experiences with others?
In 2 Peter 1, Peter is writing to share the faith and encourage the church. He tells us to keep growing in knowledge, to live a godly and moral life which God will help us do, to love everyone, and God will give us a grand entrance into His eternal kingdom. He tells the church he will keep reminding them of these things and then in verse 15 he states, “So I will work hard to make sure you always remember these things after I am gone.” Peter had something to share and he wasn’t going to quit.
This year for Advent, Scott and I sent a short, daily video to our grandkids to help make the Christmas story memorable. We videoed from a different spot in the house each day starting out with a funny comment and the Christmas cout down. We would next read from the Bible interrupting each other with commentary and then end with a goofy salutation such as “Be sweet Parakeet.” I completely understand what Peter is saying in verse 15. I too want to keep sharing Jesus with my family and others so they will understand what is so special about living a faith filled life. I will share my love for Christ and tell my grandkids about all God has done for me over and over again. It is that important to me.
I have however realized that you cannot share what you don’t have. If you don’t have personal experiences with Christ, how do you tell friends at work about Christ? If you are not reading the Bible and learning more and more about God’s word, how do you share that with your neighbors?
As this year comes to a close and you prepare for 2026, think about your plan to grow in your understanding of God’s truths. Create a strategy to daily spend time growing in your knowledge of Him and reflecting on His unimaginable love for you. Write out your plan and commit to it.
Remember, James 4:8 tells us, “Come close to God, and God will come close to you.” Lean in to God in 2026 and share what you learn with others.
Yesterday started off as a better than usual day. When I pulled up to the window at Starbucks, I was informed my drink had been paid for by the person in front of me. You know, this act of kindness works best in a drive-through line. A couple of times I have been fortunate enough for a kind person to purchase my pop at 7-11. In these cases, it is always a little awkward. I first try to convince them it’s not necessary to pay for my pop. Then I thank them over and over, as they pay my bill, before walking out of the store usually at the same time and thanking them again until I get in my car. There actually is the ability to deny the acceptance of the gift, and there is no anonymity. However, at the drive-through window, accepting the gift is the only option. It is already paid for.
I’m embarrassed to tell this story, but this weekend I made a cooking mistake you would expect a 12 year old to make, but not someone who has been putting food on the table for MANY years. I was making macaroni and cheese with my mind on a million other tasks. Right before I put the last cheese in, I thought the pasta had a different smell to it and immediately realized what I had done. I used sweetened condensed milk instead of evaporated milk. I had no idea how this was going to turn out, but went on as planned. We dubbed it dessert mac and cheese. While the concoction was edible, it was really rich and a few bites went a long ways.
Okay, don’t judge, but I’m still reading on the book that I referenced several months ago. It is a 28 day study of the Lord’s prayer. Yes, I’m going on about 4 months working on this study. This is partly because I have read some sections a couple of times, partly because I’ve set the book aside for days at a time, and partly because I have to divide up what I am to read each day. Anyway, I’m to the part of the study pertaining to the line “Forgive our sins as we forgive those that trespass against us” As I read this chapter, I arrogantly began to make a mental list of all the people I have forgiven. I was reminded of how I had been treated at various times in my life, how God had been faithful through those times, and how I was better off by going through those experiences despite what others had done to me. After several minutes of patting myself on the back, I put the study aside for the night and went to bed.
One of our favorite family pastimes is to play cards. I have so many memories as a child playing cards with my family. My dad was quite the card player. He could tell you any card that had been picked up and was certain to let you know if you weren’t paying attention and played into someone’s hand. We had the most laughs at the expense of my sister. She would pick up any face card whether it went with her hand or not. She just couldn’t let one pass by.
Every three months Scott and I make the trek to the El Reno Cemetery to change the flowers on Jeff’s grave. It is a routine we have down to an art. When we were there the first week in September changing the summer flowers out for the fall flowers, we noticed several new graves in the area. We were back again the first week in December changing out the fall flowers for the winter flowers. As part of our normal routine, we were checking out the new neighbors as many of them had headstones up by now. Anyway, the whole time we were there, an elderly man was puttering around at one of the newer graves. He was making the motions of rearranging the flowers on the grave, but really never moving anything. I couldn’t stand it any longer and had to go over and talk to him. It was clear as I approached and looked at the new headstone, he was standing at his wife’s grave. I began the conversation by asking if this was his first Christmas without her. I learned he celebrated their 49th anniversary in November with out her and many other first that 
happen during the infamous year of first that happens after the death of a loved one. After we talked for several minutes, he asked me what I’m sure appeared to be the obvious questions, “is this your parent’s grave?” He was surprised to hear that it was my husband’s, but I pointed out Scott, who had been standing there the whole time. I said, “Look, God gave me a new one.” That created quite a laugh and then we were able to talk about living life after the loss of a loved one.
View From My Shoes 