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Call the baby, “Jesus.”

Call the baby, “Jesus.”

What kind of welcome does a royal child receive? William and Kate will soon welcome their third child, you know. And just let me say they make beautiful children, don’t they? They’re adorable.  And the whole world seems to be waiting in great anticipation for this next special birth.

I’m not privy to the secrets of the royals, but I can imagine there will be a royal doctor on call for the birth. I imagine there is a royal nanny waiting in the wings. I imagine the precious baby will be placed in a royal nursery, appointed with the best of everything.

Queen Elizabeth has been Queen of England as long as I can remember. She is the world’s queen, it seems. The president, even a great one, is just not the same as someone with a royal lineage, who reigns on a throne, who has supreme authority. Other queens exist in the world, of course, but no one who has reigned so long or who is as well-known and recognized throughout the world.

So this newest baby, Queen Elizabeth’s great-grandchild, will receive all the frills and the honor and the care a royal newborn should have. His or her picture will be sought after, and the world will collectively smile at the first sight.

But at this time of year, I can’t help but contrast this reception with the birth of the greatest King ever born. The King of Kings and Lord of Lords was born in a stable, placed in a manger, and swaddled in nothing more than rags. No pomp. No ceremony. Instead, animals witnessed his birth.

What humility. And the humility in the manner of His birth paled in comparison to the fact of His birth—that God’s precious Son humbled Himself to be born as a man is something no one can ever truly fathom. That He would do this to provide a way to the Kingdom of God speaks to the importance this salvation has to the Triune God—the Father who chose His people, the Son who redeemed them, and the Holy Spirit who called them and regenerated them, and by so doing, demonstrates the greatest miracle of all. He changes hearts of stone, turned against Him continually, into hearts of flesh, who now long for His glorious appearing.

I didn’t send out Christmas cards this year, so let this suffice as my way of reminding you of our tremendous gratitude for that Savior’s birth, as well as wishing each of you a Merry Christmas filled with warmth, peace and love, enjoying the festivities while never forgetting the Reason for them.

“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father,” Philippians 2:5-11.

Posted by Deborah Howard, 2 comments

Jerry Bridges

Jerry Bridges’ life and mine have connected on a few occasions within the last ten years. He’s been an important influence on me through his books.

Trusting God is my 2nd favorite book of all time, just below the Bible on my list.  I quote heavily from his book in almost all of mine. This book helped me so much when I was writing my own book, Sunsets, which Mr. Bridges generously endorsed. In my thank-you letter, I told him it didn’t surprise me that he appreciated Sunsets, since I quoted him on almost every page.  Haha. Okay, a little bit of an exaggeration, perhaps.

His book, Transforming Grace, also had a powerful influence on my life. That’s when God opened my eyes to the fact that nothing we do makes God love us more. And nothing we do makes God love us less. He loves us the same whether we’re “bad” or “good.” I realized that much of my “good behavior” was intended to ingratiate myself with God. So Mr. Bridges’ book helped me realize that nothing I did impacted God’s love for me. But much of what I did impacted my love for God. He is faithful even when we’re not. This was a life-changing realization for me.

For many years, Jerry Bridges has been one of my favorite Christian writers for these and other reasons. So I was saddened to hear that he died a few days ago. One less spiritual pillar in this world; one less spiritual guide to point us always to our Savior. Yet, I know that Jerry Bridges is more alive today than he’s ever been. I’m confident that the rejoicing in heaven right now at his home-coming is providing more joy to his soul than anything he could have imagined on this earth.

I’ll miss Jerry Bridges’ writing. But I have lots more of his books left to read and absorb. So while I’m sad for myself and the body of believers in this world, I rejoice with him that he is face to face with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Thank You, Lord, for men like Jerry Bridges who help point others to You so brilliantly.

 

Posted by Deborah Howard, 1 comment

For John

My brother, John David Koon, died ten years ago on February 27. Ten long years. Ten short years. It depends on how I look at it. In one way, it seems like yesterday.

Telling him goodbye for the last time on this earth, we held each other and all that would come out of my mouth was, “Oh, my dear!” That being spoken with such emotion. I’ve never called him “my dear” before. Don’t know why it came out like that. But clinging to him, tears flowing, I didn’t want to let go. I suspected I’d never see him again. Yet, I did see him again. He was in a coma that time. I snuggled next to him and cried, patting his frail hand, and telling him that if he needed to go on, it was okay. Yes, as tears flow now with the memory it seems like ten short years ago.

My little brother, John, was not perfect. But he was exceptional. Even as a little kid, his sweetness was evident. From early on he seemed to have a devotion to Christ that I didn’t share back then. No, he was touched by God in a way I wasn’t. One of my sweetest memories of him was playing Roy Rogers and Dale Evans. I’ve always been the loud one, the bossy one, the assertive one. So I insisted on being Roy and made him be Dale. Hahaha. Oh, what a sweet boy he was.

We didn’t become absolute best friends until I was around fifteen years old. I don’t know if that was because that’s when he was suddenly bigger than me, or because that’s when I was saved. But I became a nicer, more loving person then and John and I were joined at the hip. We went to the same school. We had some of the same teachers. We both played trumpet in the band. We had the same friends. We truly enjoyed each other’s company more than other people.

One summer, while we were at band camp, we were both going steady and our “steadies” weren’t there. So John and I hung out a lot that year. We entered a twist contest and if memory serves me right, I think we won. Also, we were write-ins for cutest couple. Haha. That was fun.

Our adult years were often marked by separation. I left home when I went away to college. Then got married. Then he left to move to Texas, then California and back to Texas. Then he moved back home to the Little Rock area. Later, he got married and moved to Cabot, Arkansas—about an hour away.

Through it all, we maintained our relationship. When we were together it was as if no time had passed. We didn’t do “shallow” very well, so our conversations were always at a heart level. But he was also one of the funniest people I ever knew. So we were either laughing or deeply involved in conversation—or sometimes both.

When he was diagnosed with cancer, our relationship was kicked to the next level. We were all heart-broken. His wife and little girls tried to care for him to the best of their ability. My mother was devastated. And me? Well, it was the saddest thing I’ve ever experienced, so far in my life, to watch my dear, smart, funny, adorable brother suffer the indignities of cancer. We all felt so sorry for the toll it took on him.

But he didn’t. No, he rose to the occasion. Always content to be in the shadows, he suddenly thrust himself into the spotlight with a message that inspired and touched everyone he shared it with. The message was about how gracious and good God is—even in adversity, or especially in adversity, perhaps. He spoke before churches, schools, civic groups, in waiting rooms, in restaurants. Whenever the opportunity opened up for him to speak, he was there to joyfully proclaim God’s goodness. He said he’d never known such peace and internal joy as he had through those last years of his life. It certainly showed. Every conversation centered on spiritual things. It was like he existed on a higher spiritual plane; he understood things that had eluded him before; he saw God’s hand in everything. He faced death with courage and anticipation for a better world where he would be united with his Lord and Savior, Who had just become his new best Friend. And then he died. Ten years ago.

When I think of all that has transpired in our lives since then, ten years seems like a long time ago. Since then, I’ve had six books published; we’ve added a new daughter-in-law and four grandchildren. My boys have achieved so much; and John’s daughters have grown into beautiful young women—one in nursing school, and another with two babies of her own. John’s grandchildren. Oh, what joys we’ve had over ten long years without him. And then there have been the sorrows—but the joys have been much more abundant by the grace of God.

Ten long, short years ago my brother died. I promised him once that I’d always love him and never stop missing him. I’m keeping my promise. My dear. This is for you.

Posted by Deborah Howard, 2 comments

To God be the Glory!!

I am so excited right now!

My book, Help! I’m So Lonely, is finally going to print. I knew it was scheduled for release this year, but am thrilled the time is getting close. Today I approved the final draft from my editor at Shepherd’s Press.

But that’s not why I’m so excited. I’m excited because I was overwhelmed by the help, hope and understanding this book provides.

I wrote it so long ago that I’d forgotten some of what I’d written. Reading it today was like reading someone else’s work, in that regard. And how terrible it would have been if I’d hated it, or picked it to pieces, or thought, “Wow, this needs to go back to the drawing board.” But I didn’t. I loved it!

Please don’t label me as conceited. It’s not so much my work that I appreciated, as my reaction to it. Early on I noticed my eyes filling with tears as I read, and those tears gathered slowly and held until chapter 3 when they began to flow down my cheeks–as I began reading passages from the Bible that offered such compassionate understanding of the pain of loneliness, then transitioned to the “rest of the story,” the hope they provided. God’s word moved me to tears as I considered His promises, His work and His love to His suffering children.

I realized something. When I wrote this book, I intended to come alongside those going through the heartbreak of loneliness. But as I continued to read, I realized this book may be helpful to anyone who is suffering—not just the lonely. I didn’t expect that because it wasn’t even in my mind to do that.

Just shows you how gracious God is, and how He answered my prayer, “Lord, direct my thoughts and words while I write this book. Let this be YOUR book, Christ Jesus. And use it as You deem appropriate in the lives of those who suffer.” I start every project with these or similar words. But reading this little booklet after all this time, I realized He gave me abundantly more than I asked for—He extended the outreach I originally planned.

I can’t wait for this one to come out. I think God will use it to help many people and to minister to their hearts through His word—as it did to mine just now.

To God be the Glory!!

Posted by Deborah Howard, 1 comment