The matters that matter most

The phone rang Friday evening, and when I glanced at the caller ID, I knew it would likely be bad news. My mom had fallen, and I needed to get to her side as soon as possible. She has now had surgery to repair her broken hip and is currently doing rehab to try to get better. 

Many people have been praying, and each day, I see prayers answered in God’s perfect way. It’s going to be a tough journey forward, but every step is one step closer to complete healing in heaven. It’s such a comfort to know that the Lord is walking by her side.

When a crisis hits, it’s amazing how the rest of life comes into a new focus. 

The matters that matter most

I once made that phrase the title of a book chapter. So many important things are taking place in our world today. 

Friday morning, I was interested in the election and many other news stories. Jim and I had discussed our work schedules, our family, some ministry needs with friends, and a multitude of other things that were important to us. 

Saturday morning, I was at the hospital with Mom, waiting for them to take her into surgery. Saturday morning, only one thing mattered most. 

Setting priorities is simple during a crisis. It’s our everyday lives that sometimes need re-evaluating. It can be difficult to keep our day-to-day lives focused on God’s spiritual priorities for us and others. We should consider these verses when current events crowd out the peace, purpose, and priorities of God in our lives. These verses are a good reminder of the matters that matter most.

  • Luke 12:34 – “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” It’s good to look at our schedules sometimes and ask ourselves, “Am I doing what God loves, and does God love what I’m doing?” If our goal is to please God, we will treasure his favor more than we treasure anything else.
  • Psalm 90:12 – “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” Spending several days by my mom’s side in the hospital has caused me to consider my lifespan. Mom was twenty-two years old when I was born. The next two decades will fly by in my life. I want to use that time and “number my days” well. I want to recommit my priorities to God and live the rest of my life with a heart of wisdom.
  • Colossians 3:2 (one of my favorite verses) – “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” I will grieve my mom’s death someday, but my grief will be overshadowed by the joy of knowing that she is home in heaven. Mom deserves to be whole again and pain-free. When we consider the things that will matter in heaven, it’s difficult to find anything on earth that seems to matter more!
  • Philippians 2 – a great “perspective on life” chapter. Whoever said, “Don’t be so heavenly minded that you are no earthly good” might have been speaking on Philippians 2. The chapter begins with this important advice: “So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.  Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:1–4).

We aren’t in heaven yet, so “the things that matter most” doesn’t mean that many other things don’t matter either. You might have heard these words in a song or sermon, but they are worth repeating: “Don’t tell me I have a friend in Jesus until you show me I have a friend in you.” People matter, and all of us have a LOT of people in our lives. It was easy to know when Mom needed to be the person who mattered most. But even then, a lot of other people still matter, too.

A matter that matters too

Tomorrow is North Texas Giving Day. May I ask you to consider allowing our ministry to matter to you too?

Every month, Denison Ministries receives notes and messages from people who have been blessed by what we do. We understand that God, not us, provides the blessings. We are simply privileged to create content that God can use in the lives of others.

We have lots of numbers and statistics for you to read, but for this blog post, I will simply ask you to consider making a gift to help us continue to give God’s word to our culture and the world. We are always amazed by messages and comments that say something like, “This arrived on my computer, and I knew it was God’s word for me today.” We serve an all-knowing and perfect God. Only he can accomplish his blessings in his perfect timing.

I know that our ministry matters to God and to millions of people in this world. Would you also allow it to matter to you on this day? If your heart is with our calling to share God’s word, will you help us fulfill that calling by sending us a financial gift that will help us continue this ministry?

Every gift is tax-deductible and secure. We protect our donors and praise God for them because they support the giving of God’s word to a culture that needs to hear biblical truth. 

Pray, give what you are able, and know that from the bottom of my heart, I am grateful to you. God continues to amaze us with all that he can do through what you give.

Thank you so very much! Here is how you can give today:

Just click this secure link to make an online donation.

Or, send your check to:

Denison Ministries
17304 Preston Rd Suite 1060, Dallas, TX 75252.
In the memo line, please write “NTGD”

And that’s a wrap

My husband and I were doing some last-minute cleaning for the holiday when I said, “Didn’t we just put up this Christmas tree?” 

He responded, “Wasn’t it just Halloween!” 

For the two of us, 2023 was a blur of changes. 

We are looking forward to a much calmer 2024. (At least that’s the hope!)

A year of change

A year ago, our personal lives were very different. We woke up at a home we loved in Dallas last January. This January we are waking up in a home we love in Tyler, TX. It would be impossible to describe the months it took to make all the necessary changes, but I can say with the angel Gabriel, “With God all things are possible.” 

God led and we followed. Whatever the Lord has planned for 2024, we are ready. 

(Although, I am praying for a little more rest in the year ahead!) 

Some things remain the same

Everyone I know who’s passed their sixtieth birthday has said, “The older we get, the faster the months fly by.” 

I have made it a point in life to pay attention to anything that everyone says and count it as truth. I’m glad that I did. The wisdom I gained from listening to friends who were older inspired many of our choices last year. 

Our personal life had some major adjustments last year, but our ministry is still very much the same. In fact, this move has enabled us to enjoy a somewhat slower pace of life and spend more time with God and his word. 

We are excited for the projects the Lord has called us to in the coming year. I have already finished the Advent book for Christmas 2024! You will hear about that next October—which will be here before we know it! 

The project I am working on now is born from all my years in ministry. 

I wrote a book that was published by Tyndale in 2008 titled Content to be Good, Called to be Godly. I used to do radio interviews for this book and was often asked why I wrote it. My response was to say that I had been in ministry for twenty-five years and this book was born from the experiences I had lived and learned from along the way. 

To sum it up, I felt like God’s people had grown content to be “good enough” while God had called us to higher standards for our faith. I’ve been in ministry for more than forty years now and, in some ways, that one idea has been behind most of what I have been called to write or speak about. 

So, I will spend this next season of ministry turning my first book into a workbook that will combine Bible study with the practical application of God’s word to our lives. I’m not sure what I will title this workbook yet, but it will be a rewrite of that earlier book with additional Bible study added in. 

I’m excited to devote time to this project and whatever else God guides me toward this year. Jim and I are committed to allowing God to lead. The Lord continues to bless and guide our work, and we are amazed and humbled that he uses his word and our work to reach millions of people each year. 

Will you help us? 

There are a lot of statistics I could list right now, but instead I’d ask you to follow this link to see all of that information from our 2022 impact report. Our statistics have grown even more in this last year!

Every ministry is asking for help right now, and we are too. Why should you give to us? 

  • Your donation enables us to give away solid, trustworthy biblical truth to God’s people all around the world. We receive encouragement almost every day that God is blessing the work of our hands. God’s word changes people’s lives, and your donations make that possible.
  • We have a wonderful team of people who serve this ministry with their gifts and enable us to spend our time creating the content that is placed on the internet with strategic accuracy. Maybe you have searched a topic of biblical study and seen one of our articles pop up.

We are able to provide our materials for free and our printed materials at cost because people like you choose to help. The last few years have been more difficult. The cost of paper and printing has dramatically increased. Truthfully, the cost of almost everything has increased. 

Maybe you are someone who reads this on a regular basis but hasn’t felt led to give in the past. Maybe you have been a faithful donor to this ministry from its beginning, almost fifteen years ago! We truly need your help for next year’s budget. I can honestly say, we will honor and use every dollar given as we submit our plans to the Lord’s. 

If you can give, we would be very grateful. We make it easy to do by using this link, or you can send a check to: 

Foundations with Janet Denison 

17304 Preston Rd

Suite 1060

Dallas, TX 75252

Every gift is tax-deductible, and every gift you make to us is a gift to a culture that desperately needs to think and make choices with a biblical perspective for today’s issues. People need to meet the Lord, grow in the Lord, and serve the Lord. And it is our joy to help them. 

Will you help us do that? 

I am grateful to serve you and the Lord through this blog post, through Bible studies, through Wisdom Matters, through speaking and teaching, and through this new workbook project that will be completed this year. 

Thank you for every gift. Thank you for serving God, this ministry, and others. 

May 2024 be filled with the blessings of walking with God for his kingdom purpose.

 

Oh sing to the Lord a new song;
    sing to the Lord, all the earth!
Sing to the Lord, bless his name;
    tell of his salvation from day to day.
Declare his glory among the nations,
    his marvelous works among all the peoples!

(Psalm 96:1–3)

 

Happy New Year. And again, thank you for helping!

 

We could be in this together

I’ve often wondered what the week after Easter was like for the first disciples. 

His resurrection changed everything—and still could.

Easter 2020 

I told my husband, Jim, “This will be the only Easter of my life that I hear an Easter sermon and then go back to sleep.” 

His response: “That’s probably a good idea.” 

(In case you don’t know, my husband is also my preacher.) 

Easter Sunday actually turned out to be a wonderful day. 

Jim and I went walking in our neighborhood, waving at people (from a distance) and wishing them a happy Easter. As we reached our front door, we commented that, on any other Easter Sunday of our lives, we wouldn’t even have said “Amen” yet. 

This year, we were home with our feet up before noon. We made lunch and then enjoyed eating outside on our patio.  

Easter from a “preacher’s wife perspective” 

I will remember Easter 2020 with fondness. 

From a “preacher’s wife” perspective, it was calm and peaceful. I really missed our chapel family this year, but we didn’t have to work as hard as we normally do. 

When you are in ministry, Easter Sunday is the Super Bowl Sunday of the year. The preacher is the quarterback, and while he isn’t the only one on the field, he feels most responsible for the game. 

That said, every quarterback on Super Bowl Sunday wishes he were in the game. Jim probably felt a bit differently about Easter 2020 than I did. 

Are we “in this together”? 

“We are in this together.” 

Those words have become a community catchphrase for these COVID-19 days. It is in the TV ads, on T-shirts, and displayed on signs and banners. But, I tend to ponder what those words really mean to those who hear it. 

That phrase is usually spoken with the hope that it will make people feel better about their circumstances. In other words, “We all have problems in life; therefore, we are all in this together.” 

It sounds good, but, truthfully, we rarely share the difficulties of a person’s life—because we rarely can. 

COVID-19 has impacted everyone, everywhere. In that sense, we are in this together. 

But this pandemic does not impact everyone in the same ways.

  • Some people will lose a loved one to this disease. The rest of us will lose someone we knew.
  • Some people are risking their lives when they go to work. Others are working safely at home. Still others are out of work, not knowing if they will have a job when this crisis is over.
  • Some of us have plenty of stuff to sustain us during this crisis. (Okay, I confess. I might have “hoarded” just a bit.) Others didn’t have the ability to store things up in advance and have run out of things they need. People have been waiting in long lines for food, diapers, and other basic items.
  • Some of us have hope, believing that everything will be okay again. Others don’t know if they have ever been hopeful about their futures.

Maybe we are all in this together, but not in the same ways.  

The biblical “together” 

I think utter gratitude for Jesus must have dominated the hearts, lives, and conversations of those first disciples following the resurrection. 

Jesus was their teacher, their leader, their miracle-working Messiah. Then Jesus was killed, buried—and raised. People saw the risen Christ and knew he was God’s holy Son. Everything about their lives changed as a result. 

Those early Christians could have said, “We are in this together.”  

The book of Acts says, “Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need” (Acts 4:32–35). 

Those early Christians lived with joyful abandon because they believed Jesus would return at any moment. 

Their stuff, in the meantime, was for anyone who needed it. That is why they were together, “with one heart and soul.” 

An Easter perspective 

We should try to share the perspective those first disciples owned. 

Until Jesus returns, we should allow God’s grace to be powerfully at work in each of us when there are needy persons among us. Those of us who have stuff can share with those who have need, remembering that not every need is material. 

People still need what Jesus died to give. People need resurrection joy and assurance of their salvation. 

Pope John Paul II said, “We are the Easter people and Hallelujah is our song.” Hallelujah means “God be praised.” “Easter people” praise God with gratitude born from grace. 

A free download for the “Easter people” 

Jesus told his disciples, “For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me” (Matthew 26:11). I think if Jesus were speaking to his disciples today, he might say something like, “You will always have the poor with you, but you will not always have opportunities like these.” 

I think this pandemic has provided a unique season for ministry. The “Easter people” should be ready to praise God for giving us opportunities to help. 

Americans really aren’t in this together. People have different needs during these days. If you are like me, you are “tipping” more often right now. I’m picking up groceries, and sometimes things are delivered. I’m noticing people who have and others who are struggling. I wanted to be able to express my gratitude and help financially, but I wished for the opportunity to help spiritually as well. It was easy to say “God bless you,” but I wanted to do more. So, I wrote a flyer that I’ve been using whenever I leave a tip or want to thank someone. 

I would love to give it to all of you to use as the Lord leads. It is easily downloaded and can be printed at home. There are two flyers per page, and anyone is welcome to use it to offer a generous gift and your faith.  

Cut the page in half lengthwise and then fold each flyer in half. I put the money inside the fold and write a few words of gratitude on the blank page inside. I’ve given several away and they have been well received. It gives me joy to give more than just the money. 

Everyone appreciates being appreciated, and I imagine most can really use extra financial help right now. We are God’s “Easter people,” and we have a unique opportunity right now. 

Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Do you love me?” 

The apostle said, “Yes Lord, I love you.” 

Jesus responded, saying, “Then feed my sheep.”  

Our gratitude and love for Jesus can be expressed through our grace and generosity to others. It’s fine to say “we are all in this together,” but how much better is it if the Lord uses us to bring people to himself, through faith?  

In Christ, we actually could be in this together. 

Give generously

These days, are you wishing you could do something more?

Especially for those who are serving the rest of us?

I wanted to provide something you could easily print at home and use when picking up groceries, meals, etc. to say thanks and bless those who are practically helping all of us during these challenging times.

P.S. This download works best on Chrome. If using Safari, Firefox or any other browser make sure to check your print settings to make sure you are viewing it at 100% before printing!

Download the Generosity Flyer!

A few suggestions for use:

  • Include a generosity flyer in an envelope with your (ample!) tip.
  • Leave a card with your cashier at the grocery store.
  • Place a card outside your door for those who may be dropping off groceries.

I’m sure you’ll come up with your own ideas as well.

Just remember: The Lord has blessed you to be a blessing to others.

The One Who Invented Christmas

The house was finally quiet after a wonderfully chaotic Thanksgiving Day. 

My daughter-in-law Candice suggested we watch one of her favorite Christmas movies, The Man Who Invented Christmas. The movie is based on the life of Charles Dickens as he penned his most famous novel, A Christmas Carol.

The movie was a fascinating look at the life and work of Dickens in 1843, the year he wrote his best seller in just one month. Dickens was in a financial crisis, and many people, his publisher included, were beginning to think he was a blocked, washed-up author. His past few books had not done well in the stores. Dickens actually had to pay to publish his Christmas story because his publisher said that Christmas was no longer a good topic in the industry. 

The movie is an adaptation of true events and an interesting look into the life, mind, and imagination of a gifted writer. How did Dickens invent and describe such interesting characters? What prompted Dickens to write A Christmas Carol? Why was he driven to extremes in his personal life during those days? 

I won’t give away those answers because you might want to watch this movie, if you haven’t already. The Man Who Invented Christmas was released in 2017, and I don’t know how I missed it. 

Maybe you did too?  

Did you know that you’re in A Christmas Carol?

I’ve always been a fan of great literature, and the movie was an interesting look at how some great literature was written. I can’t imagine using parchment paper, a fountain pen, and ink to create a book. I wonder what Dickens would have accomplished if he’d had a computer. 

Maybe if Dickens had owned a computer, he would have spent less time imagining, thinking, and planning his words. He spent a lot of time pacing the floor and walking the streets of London before he began carefully and meticulously writing each word in ink and waiting for each page to dry. I spend as much time deleting my words as I do writing them. Dickens didn’t have that luxury. 

One thing the movie makes clear is that each character in the movie was a reflection of Dickens himself. In other words: 

  • All of us are a Scrooge at some level, but there is hope. 
  • All of us know a Jacob Marley who died before finding redemption. 
  • We all can be Mrs. Cratchit and speak our minds more bluntly than we should. 
  • All of us know a Bob Cratchit who is faithfully doing his or her best. 
  • And everyone needs to pay attention to the pure-hearted Tiny Tim, who reminds us of the most important things in life. 

We can see a small part of ourselves in every character of A Christmas Carol. And we can all choose to remember why Christmas truly matters. 

A modern-day Christmas Carol?

If Dickens were writing his novel today, what would it look like? 

In the London of 1843, there was no middle class. People either had a lot or very little. Many of the poor resorted to crime in order to feed their families. If caught, their children suffered in the workhouses. Dickens had firsthand knowledge of those workhouses, and that’s why the subject is discussed in many of his novels. 

In 1843, many of the wealthy ignored, looked down upon, and abused those they didn’t see as worthy. But there are still Tiny Tims who serve as reminders of the real value of the Christmas season. 

Today, many of our priorities are revealed by the Black Friday and Cyber Monday ads that filled our inboxes this past week. Our calendar entries are a detailed list of what we believe matters. Our expenditures this month will paint a picture of our values. 

Do those thoughts give you peace, or make you cringe just a little? 

Wait, who invented Christmas?

I thought the movie title, The Man Who Invented Christmas, was an interesting choice. My first thought when I saw the title was “That’s Jesus, not Charles Dickens.” Even great literature doesn’t always point to the true meaning of the holiday. 

God invented Christmas. He wrote the story that has been the heart of the holiday for centuries. Charles Dickens turned God’s work into a book about good works. I think culture has been confusing the difference for a long time. 

“For God so love the world, that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). That is the theme of the biblical Christmas story. 

The characters are more vivid than Dickens’: 

  • A group of shepherds who were the poorest people in society. 
  • An unmarried teen who is told she will give birth to God’s son. 
  • A fiancé who chooses to faithfully believe and serve. 
  • An innkeeper who finds a place for people in need. 
  • An evil king who tries to protect his throne by murdering innocent babies. 
  • Wise men who leave everything at home in order to search for the newborn King. 
  • And the all-powerful God of the universe who humbly reduces himself to be a dependent baby so that every person has the chance to choose eternity in heaven.  

A Christmas Carol is an amazing work of fictional literature. The biblical Christmas story is an amazing work of history. 

Take time today to consider his characters and the message he was providing the world. It’s similar to Dickens’ effort, but God’s message is holy and perfect. The Apostle Paul related that message well when he wrote, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10). 

What will your Christmas story be this year?

We can all find ourselves in the characters of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. We can also find ourselves in the people who lived and experienced the biblical Christmas story. And all of us can use both stories as reminders of the deepest meanings of this holiday season.   

We are surrounded by, and one of, a cast of characters in our culture today. As Christians, we need to remember why we exist and that we are called to serve. We are God’s workmanship. We have been gifted to accomplish good works, which God long ago prepared for us. 

What has God planned for your Christmas season this year? 

Consider your past, your present, and your future. Ebenezer Scrooge did, and look how that journey changed him! 

Let’s remember the God who invented Christmas and why he did. Who knows? It only took Charles Dickens a month to write his most famous novel. 

What might we accomplish this December?