Leslie's Little Devotional

                I love all things Christmas. The celebration at the Manske home begins the day after Thanksgiving and continues throughout the month of December. One of our many traditions is to watch dozens of Christmas movies. Included in the list is the classic Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. I’m sure you’re all familiar with the story. After all, we know that Rudolph went down in history! Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer reminds us that even “misfits” have a purpose in this life.                  Being a misfit is something we all can identify with. This is especially true in the church. Our pastor often refers to all of us (including himself) as a “glorious mess”. I couldn’t agree more.   The church really is a collection of misfit toys.   Seated in the congregation each Sunday are dozens of “Charlie in Boxes”, water pistols that shoot jelly, spotted elephants, boats that cannot stay afloat, dollies named Sue,   Hermeys, and many more.  While I can identify with many

We have a saying here at the Manske household. That saying is, “two of the happiest events in our lives were when our children were potty trained and when they learned to pump the swing themselves.”   As a mom of 5, I have changed more diapers than I care to number. I’ve also spent countless hours at the swing set, pushing, giving underdogs, and singing songs. Sometimes I thought my arms might fall off from pushing a swing for hours at a time.  When we moved into our home, we were expecting our 4 th child. While in the purchasing process of our home we came to the property for the inspection and a very pregnant me took our three girls outside to play while my husband accompanied the inspector. As we explored the yard, I realized that the swing set had 5 swings. Little did I know then, that we would fill all 5 swings. In the past 17 years, we’ve spent a lot of time at that swing set. I’ve pushed little ones in the baby swing, pushed toddlers on the “big kid swing”, a

I opened the door expecting to be greeted by the tantalizing scent of fajitas that had been cooking in the crockpot for hours.  Instead, my husband met me at the door with a big smile and said, “We’re going out to dinner tonight.” Without a word I followed him to the kitchen to find a cold crockpot full of meat and seasonings. The crockpot was set to low but I’d neglected to plug it in. Now, six hours later, the contents were uncooked and unfit for use. The waste frustrated me. I spent the money to purchase the ingredients, took the time to assemble them, and then became so distracted that I forgot to plug the appliance in. The cord was lying there on the counter, inches from the outlet. The outlet was working and ready to provide the power and the plug was capable of receiving the power. Unfortunately, I just never connected the plug to the power. This incident not only provided me with a night out with my family. It also provided me with a very practical example of the impor

  Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up. In our day to day lives we probably don’t have to look far before we encounter someone who is burdened or anxious.   So many people are weighed down by life’s burdens. Their faces are drawn with worry and anxiety has become their frequent companion. Life isn’t always easy and burdens are often heavy. As I read Proverbs 12:25, I sensed the call to become a “weightlifter.” In fact, I wrote the words, “ be a weightlifter ” next to the verse. Then I began “working out”.   Each day I’m asking the Lord to make me aware of the opportunities before me. I’m learning that it is about taking the focus off me and looking toward others. When we ask God for a heightened sensitivity to the needs of others, HE answers! You begin to really see others and not just look past them. I’m realizing that it really isn’t complicated. It’s just a matter of looking around and really seeing others.   Sometimes it is a simple smile