The Long-Awaited Promise: Fulfilled

December 24, 2015 The Not-So Newlywed Lefebvres1 Comment

{This post is dedicated to my precious grandmother, Florence, since she ‘so loves’ reading this blog. Merry Christmas, Grandma!}

I cannot stand waiting. As a matter of fact, I sometimes drive 10+ miles out of the way for the sole purpose of avoiding traffic and stoplights. When it came to ‘waiting’ on a husband, by the time Craig finally showed up when I was 28 years old, I was about to throw in the towel. And the most difficult waiting of all? Jonah.

Still, after more than three years of praying and hoping, we are awaiting the arrival of our child – Jonah Elizabeth. (See the story HERE.) At times, it seems as though God’s promise will never come to fruition. At other times, we both feel that Jonah is closer than ever. But the waiting – well, it never gets any easier.

Three and (almost) a half years is a long time…Or at least it seems that way until you compare it with how long the Jewish people had to wait for their promised Savior:

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
though you are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for me
one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,
from ancient times.” Micah 5:2 NIV

That was prophesied about 700 years before the birth of Jesus! Talk about a long wait!

But it was a long wait that was well worth it. And over and over again, throughout the Old Testament, the Lord reaffirms His coming through the prophets:

2 Samuel 7:16
King David’s throne would be established forever

Daniel 9:24-26
Daniel predicted when an anointed one would be rejected

Deuteronomy 18:15-18
God promised another prophet like Moses

Genesis 22:18
The Messiah would be a descendant of Abraham

Genesis 49:10
The Messiah would come from the tribe of Judah

Isaiah 7:14
Isaiah foreshadowed the virgin birth of Jesus

Isaiah 9:6-7
There would be a son called God

Isaiah 11:1-10
Nations would seek the counsel of Jesse’s descendant

Isaiah 35:4-6
He would perform miracles

Isaiah 40:1-5,9
The Messiah would be preceded by a messenger

Isaiah 42:1-9
The Messiah would be a light to Gentiles

Isaiah 49:6
God’s salvation would reach the ends of the earth

Isaiah 50:6
Jesus was spat upon and beaten

Isaiah 53:1-3
The Messiah would be rejected

Isaiah 53:4-6
God’s servant would die for our sins

Isaiah 53:7
God’s servant would be silent before his accusers

Isaiah 53:9
God’s servant would be buried in a rich man’s tomb

Isaiah 53:12
God’s servant would be “numbered with the transgressors”

Isaiah 61:1-2
Isaiah foreshadows the ministry of Jesus

Jeremiah 23:5
The Messiah would be a descendant of King David

And that is merely a smattering of instances of Messianic prophecy from the Old Testament!!

The Lord reaffirmed His promise of a Savior, His Son, for many, many years before that promise was fulfilled…and now, here we sit – more than 2000 years after the birth of Christ, saved.

Just as early Christians used the symbol of the ichthus to show their faith, we can use the traditional colors of the Christmas season as a reminder of the true meaning of this beautiful holiday.

Red – the color of blood; Jesus’ death on the cross to save the world from sin.

Green – the color of life; The eternal life gained for us by our Savior’s death on the cross.

“…When we see the bright colors of winter decorations, we can remind ourselves and each other of the true meaning of Christmas. In this season, …[we] celebrate God so loving the world that He gave His only Son to us in human form (John 3:16-17; 1:14). In that way, Jesus could know and suffer all that we do, yet [doing so]without sin (Hebrews 4:15). He died for all our sins as the perfect sacrifice, reconciling sinners with a holy and just God, so that all who ask for forgiveness of their sin and turn to Him can have eternal life (2 Corinthians 5:4, 18-19; Hebrews 2:17).” -Saved By Grace Bible Study

Whatever it is you might be in a season of waiting for right now, know that all the promises of the Lord are well worth the wait – even if it is more than 700 years. (Please, Lord, don’t make us wait 700 years for Jonah!!!! 😉 )

This Christmas, keep the true celebration in your heart – the long-awaited birth of the Messiah, our precious Savior, who was, and is, well worth the wait.

Have a beautiful and very Merry Christmas, y’all!

My Choice Monday

A Christmas Giveaway!

December 14, 2015 The Not-So Newlywed LefebvresLeave a comment

Happy Monday Folks!

This post is short, but SWEET – It’s a link to our 2015 Christmas Giveaway!! We have partnered with Amazon to bring you a wonderful faith-building Christmas gift, and all you have to do is click the link, watch a really awesome Christmas video and enter to win – That’s it!!! You can enter as many times as you would like between now and Friday, December 18th!!

Nativity_Scenes007 — Click The Nativity Scene To Enter To Win!

(If that doesn’t work, try clicking this link: https://giveaway.amazon.com/p/9c9643d8da481d5c)

Here’s the fine print:

Winner: Every eligible entry has 1 in 452 chance to win, up to 1 winners.

Requirements for participation:
- Resident of the 50 United States or the District of Columbia
- 18+ years of age (or legal age)
- Watch a YouTube video
The Newlywed Lefebvres has paid for all prizes, sales tax, and shipping. Entry requires an Amazon.com account. Amazon will ship prizes to winners. Winners’ names may be made public.
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Every eligible entry has 1 in 452 chance to win, up to 1 winners. This giveaway started December 11,2015 2:44 PM PST and ends the earlier of December 18,2015 11:59 PM PST or when all prizes have been awarded.

So there you have it folks! Click the picture to enter to win a very special Christmas gift of THANKS for being a faithful reader of our blog!!

Until Tomorrow,

Thirsty For Christ Thursday

Are You Missing The Point?

December 10, 2015 The Not-So Newlywed Lefebvres2 Comments

Craig and I both seem to have this knack, you might call it…Whenever one of us goes somewhere – Wal-Mart, commuter rail, the hardware store, an airplane…. it could be anywhere – both of us are bound to run into a stranger and end up having an incredibly meaningful conversation.

Earlier this summer, I was flying standby and ‘made it’ on a flight out of Newark into Detroit. There were plenty of open seats on this plane, but it just so happened that I was seated in an aisle seat next to another standby passenger. At first, I was a little irritated. I mean, I was hoping that I would be able to nab two seats to myself and take a little snooze…but that wasn’t going to happen.

I sat down next to a woman named Beverly (a grandmother with sparkling eyes and a warm smile) and instantly, I knew I wasn’t going to take a nap, read a book, work on any projects, or listen to music. Beverly and I, within seconds, were deep in a heart to heart about Jesus and infertility. We took a selfie together, exchanged phone numbers and Beverly added Craig and I to her church’s prayer list. Craig was able to meet me (us) at the gate, and by the time Ms. Beverly gave me (and Craig) a hug, I was in tears. She was such a beautiful soul, and her words were so comforting to me. In fact, they were just the words I needed in that moment. And when I turned around to watch her walk away, she was gone.

I recall my mother and younger brother driving back from summer camp in North Carolina to our grandparents’ home in Georgia (or was it the other way around?). It was a holiday weekend and the roads were packed. My brother was young at the time – maybe 2nd grade – and it was just the two of them. My mother hit something in the road and it became lodged under the car. They couldn’t really continue forward, and obviously, couldn’t back up, so she pulled over to the side of the road and prayed. This is prior to the days of cell phones, and she couldn’t pull the piece of metal from underneath the car…and my brother was much too young to help…I can only imagine. I would have been a BALL of nerves. Out of nowhere, a white van pulled over. A man, dressed all in white, got out of the vehicle, and without saying a word, walked over and pulled the metal piece out from under my mother’s car. Then he walked back to his vehicle, didn’t say a word, and drove away. It was exactly what my mother needed in that instance…But before she could thank him, he was gone.

We are house-sitting for my parents this week, and so I have been taking the train into the city for work every morning. Yesterday, I boarded the train and sat down to realize that not only had I left my book behind, I had also neglected to bring my earbuds along for the ride. Ugh. Luckily, I used Kindle on my phone to read some of the Beth Moore book I mentioned yesterday, “Jesus, The One and Only“, but this morning I made sure that I grabbed the book I am reading about hiking the Appalachian Trail (it is SO on my bucket list!!!) and my headphones too!

I boarded the train, chose a seat on the inside, next to a window, so I wouldn’t have people stepping over me, and delved into my book. Aaaah. I wish I could ride the train everyday to work. I love a little ‘me’ time in the morning.

But wouldn’t you know it…at the very first stop, a man came and sat down next to me. He was dirty. His nails desperately needed to be cut. His clothing was tattered and torn. He was missing all of his top front teeth. And he turned toward me right away and said, ‘Good Morning!’. I inwardly groaned. All I wanted this morning was to read my book. I didn’t want to talk. But I looked up at him and there was something about this man’s eyes. They were unbelievably kind. He asked how I was and started to talk about how his father always said that getting up early in the morning made a real difference in how your day went, and talked about pollution and how it has caused sickness in our world. And then he was talking about how God is just so good. He always provides. He takes care of his people. He said that God places people in certain situations for a reason and for a task because He sees a miles down the road and we can’t see what’s right in front of us.

He asked me, “What does a bird do first in the morning?” I smiled. He replied, “He whistles. He sings to God and thanks Him.” He said that should should tell you something. Nature knows. And he told me Good Morning is a powerful phrase. It can change the world and we don’t even realize it…Then he got up to let a lady sit down in his seat, and he told me it was really nice to talk to me and to have a good day.

I mean, there was tape holding his coat together. He had dirt all over him…But his soul was incredible. The words he spoke were exactly what I needed to hear and be reminded of…And just when I had gathered myself enough to process all of this, and wanted nothing more than to get up at the next stop and give this man who had made my morning a hug, I looked up to see he was gone.

“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” Hebrews 13:2 ESV

Friends, don’t walk through life with your head down, looking at your phone. Don’t focus so much on you that you forget the reason you are on this earth. Don’t look at the ‘little things’ as simply coincidental. The Lord tells us to have faith like a child – and children don’t believe in the coincidental. God chose you for something specific, and He puts people and situations in your path at just the right moment, for just the reason you need. He loves you THAT much that He cares about the details.

Don’t miss the point.

What's Up Wednesday

What If…

December 9, 2015December 9, 2015 The Not-So Newlywed LefebvresLeave a comment

Are you a worrier? Do you lie awake at night processing every.single.thing. that could possibly go awry? When you pray, do you omit certain requests because you worry that God might actually say ‘Yes’, or perhaps, that if His Will really is done in your life, things might get uncomfortable?

I’ve been there. I’ve prayed, “God, please let Your Will be done in my life…but…please, let it include this and not that…”

But today, as I was reading Beth Moore on my train ride to work (another story in and of itself), something so simple (and yet so profound) dawned on me:

He always takes care of the details.

You see, my issue is not in saying YES to following Him. My issue is in saying YES and then freaking out over how everything is going to work out. I know that it will work out…it’s just the process in getting from Point A to Point B.

Here’s an excerpt from Beth Moore’s book ‘Jesus’:

“Could a teenager have fathomed that she was to give birth to the Son who was the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being? (Heb. 1:3) Perhaps Mary’s age was on her side. When my two daughters were teenagers, and when they would tell me something, I always had more questions than they had answers. I’d say, ‘Did you ask this question?’ to which they’d invariably say, ‘No ma’am. Never even occurred to me.’ I want to know every detail. They were too young to realize any were missing!

Mary only asked the one question. When all was said and done, her solitary reply was: ‘I am the Lord’s servant…May it be to me as you have said.” (Luke 1:38) The Greek word for servant is doule, which is the feminine equivalent to doulos, a male bondservant. In essence, Mary was saying, ‘Lord, I am Your handmaid. Whatever You want, I want.’ Total submission. No other questions.”

Luke 1:45 tells us, in reference to Mary, “Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished.” When we are totally sold out to the Lord, we believe wholeheartedly – no details needed. We say YES, resoundingly, because we know Him and we know He takes care of all the details.

Have you ever heard the saying, “If He brings you to it, He will bring you through it”?

It’s true. When you are following His Will, He will supply your every need – not your every want, but your every single need.

One of the most heartwarming portions of Scripture follows below:

“And [Jesus] said to His disciples, Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious and troubled [with cares] about your life, as to what you will [have to] eat; or about your body, as to what you will [have to] wear. For life is more than food, and the body [more] than clothes. Observe and consider the ravens; for they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn; and [yet] God feeds them. Of how much more worth are you than the birds! And which of you by being overly anxious and troubled with cares can add a cubit to his stature or a moment [unit] of time to his age [the length of his life]? If then you are not able to do such a little thing as that, why are you anxious and troubled with cares about the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow. They neither [wearily] toil nor spin nor weave; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory (his splendor and magnificence) was not arrayed like one of these. [I Kings 10:4-7.] But if God so clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today, and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He clothe you, O you [people] of little faith?

And you, do not seek [by meditating and reasoning to inquire into] what you are to eat and what you are to drink; nor be of anxious (troubled) mind [unsettled, excited, worried, and in suspense]; For all the pagan world is [greedily] seeking these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Only aim at and strive for and seek His kingdom, and all these things shall be supplied to you also.” (Luke 12:22-31 AMP)

I get chills just thinking about it. He has a grand plan for your life and not only that, He supplies everything you need to follow His Will. If He calls you to youth ministry, you don’t have to worry about a job search – He will lead you right to the church doors. If He calls you to be a wife, He will supply the very best husband for the job. If He calls you to share the gospel, He will lead you to an ear that needs to hear. And as long as you are following Him (‘Only aim at and strive for and seek His kingdom, and all these things shall be supplied to you also.’ – vs. 31), everything thing you need in between will be supplied.

You see, we don’t serve a God who sits high upon His throne and waves an angry scepter at His servants. We serve the Lord of Lords and King of Kings, Who desires a personal relationship with each and every one of His children – a relationship so personal that He not only KNOWS your needs, but provides for them, too.

So there’s no need to lose sleep at night. Your Father in Heaven has you in the palm of His Hand.

Food For Thought Friday

Don’t Be Fooled…

December 4, 2015December 4, 2015 The Not-So Newlywed LefebvresLeave a comment

Because sometimes all you need is a visual reminder of His goodness…

In today’s world, many – in fact MOST – do not set the Lord before them…They do not set ANYONE or ANYTHING before THEMSELVES at all, in actuality. And isn’t that satan’s trick? When we place everything else before God, and nothing in front of our selfish desires, we are only fooling ourselves. True pleasure, pure joy, real love…all those things come only from Our Father Above.

This weekend, do yourself a favor and read ‘The Screwtape Letters’ by C.S. Lewis. It’s a classic, and it will make you think and open your eyes into the world of spiritual warfare.

Don’t let yourself be fooled. Set the Lord always before you, and He will guide you along the path of life.

Happy Friday!