Author: Susan Elizabeth Ball

Unlock the transformative power of faith with Susan Ball, author of the acclaimed Christian Bible study, 'Honoring God with Your Money,' and the captivating trilogy of Christian novels: 'Restorations,' 'Reconciliations,' and "Letters to Mother from College." Delve into timeless wisdom that enriches lives. Beyond writing, Susan brings her expertise as a small business consultant and draws from her experience as a former pizza restaurant owner. Embrace her unique perspective as a devoted wife, mother, and proud grandmother of 8. Explore Susan Ball's inspiring works on Amazon and embark on a journey of spiritual growth and personal fulfillment. Subscribe now to join a community dedicated to living with purpose and faith. Access Susan Ball's books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Susan-Elizabeth-Ball/author/B0047P60V2?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

Peace on Earth, Goodwill to Men

At Christmastime particularly, we pray for peace on Earth and we do our part to promote peace by showing goodwill not only to our loved ones and our neighbors but also to those in need.  We put change in the Salvation Army kettles, drop off new toys at collection centers, pack shoe boxes with gifts for Operation Christmas Child, donate food to our local food banks, and try to spread love and good cheer to those we encounter.  We pray that wars will end and the heroic men and women who defend our nation will soon return home and be reunited with their families.

Yet, as we look around us, we do not find a world at peace.  Wars rage around the world from Africa to Asia to Latin and South America.  Violence is escalating.  Our news has been filled in the last few weeks with the tragic stories of the senseless murders of innocent children and holiday shoppers.  We wonder what has gone wrong with our world.

The wish for peace on earth is nothing new.  For as long as mankind has existed, there has been strife on earth.  The first murder is recorded in fourth chapter of Genesis when jealously provoked Cain to kill his brother Abel.  In Psalm 120:6 and 7, the psalmist writes, “Too long have I lived among those who hate peace.  I am a man of peace; but when I speak, they are for war.”   The poet Henry Longfellow addressed these themes in his poem, “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.”  He recognized that God is still in control of this world and that one day He will set all things right.

God did not abandon mankind after creating us.  However, He has given us free will and, unfortunately, many people exercise their free will in ways that lead to violence.  God has promised that Jesus will return to Earth one day to rule and reign over it in peace.  Until that time, however, we will only experience true peace on Earth when we turn our lives over to God and allow Him to give us the ‘peace that passes understanding.’

In these last few days before Christmas, I urge you to remember the true reason for the season, to celebrate the birth of the Son of God, who would die for our sins.  Invite Him into your heart and allow Him to give you inner peace and true joy.  Merry Christmas and may God bless you.

 

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
Lyrics by Henry W. Longfellow
Music by  J. Baptiste Calkin
 
I heard the bells on Christmas day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, goodwill to men.
 
I thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along the unbroken song
Of peace on earth, goodwill to men.
 
And in despair I bowed my head:
“There is no peace on earth,” I said,
“For hate is strong, and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, goodwill to men.”
 
Then peeled the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead: nor doth He sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, goodwill to men.”
 
Till ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime,
Of peace on earth, goodwill to men!

Achieving Balance by Satisficing

When I was a graduate student working on my MBA, the professors worked to ingrain in us the principle of satisficing.  Satisficing, a combination of the word ‘satisfy’ and ‘suffice,’ is the process of finding a solution which will sufficiently satisfy the requirements, without necessarily finding the best solution.  It requires a balance between the needs and the time and/or resources allocated to meet those needs.  It is a principle that applies in everyday life and the workplace just as much as it did in graduate school.

The process by which our professors endeavored to teach this principle was to assign more work than could be done in the allotted time if a student was continuously striving to complete each assignment to the best of his/her ability.   If a student worked diligently, however, it was possible to complete all of the assignments satisfactorily.  The professors recognized that most MBA students will work in very demanding careers and that they will need to learn to balance their work loads to achieve all that is asked of them.  This will require some compromise–everything will not be able to be done perfectly, but everything can be done well enough to meet the needs. Those of us who learned this lesson early found ourselves graduating at the top of our class.  Those who didn’t struggled to complete the program.

The principle of satisficing works well in many areas of life, although I’m certain there are some areas in which the best solutions must be found.  I personally employed this principle in my home as the very busy mother of three young sons. My oldest son was only 19 months old when my twin sons were born.    I was determined to be the best mother that I could be and so I worked furiously to keep my house in order, cook healthy meals from scratch, and volunteer in my church while caring for these three very busy little boys.  Consequently, I was stressed and exhausted most of the time.  It didn’t take long to realize that I couldn’t do everything to the highest standard and maintain my sanity. 

I had to lower my standards to levels that would meet the needs sufficiently and satisfactorily rather than perfectly.  My house was not ‘company ready’ all the time, but it was cleaned regularly and the boys always had clean clothes to wear.  Sometimes I bought canned spaghetti sauce and boxed cake mixes rather than making them from scratch.  Occasionally I rearranged the furniture to hide a stain I couldn’t get out of the carpet. 

Satisficing is a good principle to employ at Christmas time.  The holidays can be a time of great stress for those who become overly focused on doing everything perfectly.  We can never achieve the perfect holiday and striving to do so generally results in creating stress and chaos.  For many years I resisted sending out a newsy Christmas letter in my cards because I felt it lacked the personal touch.  I spent countlesss hours each December writing long, handwritten notes to each Christmas card recipient.  The process took so much time that I would get behind on my shopping and gift wrapping.  I would find myself rushing through the mall madly scrambling for gifts, rather than enjoying the sights and sounds of Christmas. When I found myself  dreading sending out Christmas cards, I knew I had to make a change.  Since I began typing a Christmas letter, the cards get done faster and are no longer a source of irritation and I have more time to enjoy other aspects of the holidays.

HolidayStress

This year I would encourage each of you to examine your holiday traditions.  If something no longer fits your family or is causing too much stress, let it go. You can have a wonderful Christmas even if your house does not boast the best decorations on your street.  Your holiday meal can be delicious and memorable even if you serve store-bought pies.  No one will notice if your gingerbread house is slightly misshapen, or if you skip the gingerbread house altogether this year. You will likely never achieve the ‘perfect’ Christmas holiday but you may very well find a balance that will allow you to have a holiday that is sufficiently close to your ideal for you to feel a great deal of satisfaction.

Preparing to Celebrate the Birth of our Savior

In the hecticness of Christmas, it is good to slow down and reflect on the true reason for this season, celebrating the birth of our Savior.  The birth of Jesus Christ in a manger 2,000 years ago was the most significant event in the history of mankind.  It is so easy to get caught up in shopping, baking, decorating, and the many other activities that go into our Christmas celebrations.  One of the ways I focus my attention on Christ is to sing Christmas hymns as I go about my holiday chores.  The traditional hymns reflect on the wonder of Christ’s virgin birth and it’s significance to mankind.

Today, I’ve been singing “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” most of the day.  This beautiful hymn summarizes the entirety of Christ’s mission as “God and sinners reconciled.”  Jesus birth, life, death, and resurrection were God’s plan to allow us a means to find forgiveness and be reconciled to him.  Without Christ leaving His heavenly home and coming to Earth to live among us, we would be without hope.  But, Jesus did come and offers to us atonement and eternal life if we only accept His free gift.  And that is truly a gift to celebrate.

Hark! the Herald Angels Sing
Lyrics by Charles Wesley
Music by Felix Mendelssohn
 
Hark! the herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King;
Peace on earth, and mercy mild; God and sinners reconciled.”
Joyful, all ye nations, rise, Join the triumph of the skies;
With the angelic hosts proclaim, “Christ is born in Bethlehem,”
Hark! the herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King!
 
Christ, by highest heaven adored, Christ, the everlasting Lord;
Late in time behold Him come, Offspring of a virgin’s womb,
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see, Hail the incarnate Deity!
Please as man with ment to appear, Jesus our Immanuel here.
Hark! the herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King!
 
Hail, the heaven-born Prince of Peace! Hail the Sun of righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings, Risen with healing in His wings;
Mild He lays His glory by, Born the man no more may die;
Born to raise the sons of earth; Born to give them second birth.
Hark! the herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King!
 
Come, Desire of nations, come!  Fix in us They humble home;
Rise, the woman’s conquering seed, Bruise in us the serpent’s head;
Adam’s likeness now efface, Stamp Thine image in its place;
Second Adam from above, Reinstate us in They love.
Hark! the herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King!

Sharing Christ’s Love Through Christmas Generosity

At this time of year, most people are in a generous mood.  The Christmas spirit inspires us to share with those in need and we are bombarded with opportunities to give.  From the Salvation Army’s red kettles to Toys for Tots drop boxes to food drives, there are ample choices for everyone to give to those needs that are most dear to their hearts.  There are so many worthy charities that it is hard to decide which ones to support.  Each year I struggle to balance the desire to give to every great cause while staying within my budget. So I want to share some steps that have helped me in making these tough decisions.

1) Ask God for wisdom in determining which charities to support each year.  If we all followed God’s guidance with our giving, all the needs would be met.

2) Decide how much money you can afford to give and stick to your budget.  I once read a definition of debt as “misguided charity.”  Being overly generous can lead to financial difficulties just as surely as greed and selfish spending.

3) Support charities whose values line up with your own.  As a Christian, I support charities sponsored by Christian organizations.  While I recognize that the beneficiaries of charitable giving appreciate the assistance regardless of the source, I want to share the message of Christ’s love while blessing others.

The following are some of the charities that I have supported over the years.

1) Angel Tree–This ministry of Prison Fellowship provides gifts to children of prison inmates.  They desire to reconcile prisoners with their families by delivering gifts to the children in the name of the incarcerated parent.

2) Operation Christmas Child–A ministry of Samaritan’s Purse, Operation Christmas Child has delivered nearly 100 million Christmas gifts in shoeboxes to children all over the world.  Each box contains materials that share Christ’s love and plan of salvation with the recipient.

3) Salvation Army–Through their red buckets and their Angel gifts, the Salvation Army blesses needy children and senior citizens.  The Salvation Army’s mission is to reach the lost, the last, and the least with the message of Christ’s love.

4) Toys for Tots–This toy drive is sponsored by the Marine Corps and Marine Corps reserves and provides toys to disadvantaged children.  The mission of Toys for Tots is to provide a message of hope that will assist children in becoming responsible, productive, patriotic citizens. 

5)  Food banks.  I donate to my church’s food ministry and our local food bank.  It’s hard to share Christ’s love with people who are hungry.  When we feed people, they know we care about them and it makes it easier for them to believe that Christ loves them.

That’s my list of favorite charitable organizations. What are some of yours?  What other ways to you share Christ’s love at Christmas?

Christmas celebrates the beginning of Christ’s earthly journey and the hope that He brought to the world.  As we give Christmas gifts to those less fortunate than us, we have an opportunity to share Christ’s love and the infinitely valuable gift He gave us when He left his home in Heaven to live among man and ultimately pay the price for our sins. Please pray and ask God to direct your giving this year.  If we all give as God leads us, many needs will be met and many lives will be changed.  The true message of Christmas is that Christ came to Earth to change lives.

 

Hymns of Thanksgiving

As we gather with family and friends today to remember with gratitude the blessings of the past year, let us remember to thank the One who made these blessings possible.  Without God’s help, none of us would enjoy the blessings of good health, family, liberty, and and freedom.  America was formed as a nation under God, and we need to remember to thank Him for his mercy and favor on our great nation.

I’d like to share two old hymns that I grew up singing during the Thanksgiving season.  They are reminders to me that all good things come from God.  Let’s offer up grateful prayers of thanksgiving to God today and everyday.  Happy Thanksgiving!

Come, Ye Thankful People
 Henry Alford
 
Come, ye thankful people come, Raise the song of harvest home:
All is safely gathered in, Ere the winter storms begin.
God, our Maker, doth provide, For our wants to be supplied.
Come to God’s own temple, come, Raise the song of harvest home.
 
We Gather Together
 Theodore Baker
 
We gather together to ask the Lord’s blessing,
He chastens and hastens His will to make known;
The wicked oppressing cease them from distressing.
Sing praises to His names, He forgets not His own.
 
Beside us to guide us, our God with us joining,
Ordaining, maintaining His kingdom divine;
So from the beginning the fight we were winning;
Thou, Lord, wast at our side,all glory be Thine!
 
We all do extol Thee, Thou Leader in battle,
And pray that Thou still our Defender will be;
Let thy congregation escape tribulation:
Thy name be ever praised!  O Lord, make us free!
 

We Thank Thee

For mother-love and father-care,
For brothers strong and sisters fair,
For love at home and here each day,
For guidance lest we go astray,
    Father,in Heaven, we thank thee.
 
For this new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends,
For ev’rything His goodness sends,
   Father in Heaven, we thank Thee.
 

Helping Others Through Christmas Gift-Giving

I love giving Christmas gifts and I love it even more when my gift-giving not only provides a gift to the recipient but helps to provide jobs, supports a worthy cause, or gives small business owners a means of providing support for their families.  This can be accomplished by shopping from locally-owned businesses and directly from small vendors at craft sales and through venues such as ETSY. It can also be accomplished by purchasing from businesses that are selling items from Fair Trade vendors or are donating the proceeds from the sale of certain products to charity.

To help get you in the gift-giving mode, I have identified some sites where your shopping will ‘give back’ to small vendors and those in need.  Merry Christmas and Happy Shopping.

1) A World of Good–Crate and Barrel    http://www.crateandbarrel.com//photo-gallery-fair-trade-ornaments  Crate and Barrel is featuring Christmas ornaments created by women-owned microbusinesses in Kenya, Peru, and India.  Sales of these ornaments will provide support to families in Kenya and Peru and will help to build a hospital in the Kashmir region of India.

Fiber Hut ornaments from Kenya help women provide sustainable income for their families.

2) Gift of Hope–American Diabetes Association  http://www.diabetes.org/donate/promotions-that-give-back/gift-of-hope.html  The American Diabetes Association has a catalog full of wonderful Christmas gifts.  The sale of Christmas ornaments, jewelry, candles, kitchen gadgets, and many other products will support diabetes research and bring hope to adults and children who suffer with this disease.

 

3) Kohl’s Cares http://www.kohls.com/kohlsStore/landingpages/kohlscares/kidscausemerchandise.jsp?icid=hpme|mes1  Kohl’s features books, stuffed animals, and cookbooks throughout the year as part of their Kohl’s Cares program. 100% of proceeds are donated to Kid’s Causes such as healthcare and education or to Women’s Causes such as breast cancer research.

4) St. Judes Candles–Pottery Barn–http://www.potterybarn.com/pages/stjude.html Pottery Barn features the St. Jude Candle collection.  50% of the sales goes to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital to support research and treatment for children with catastrophic illness, including childhood cancers.

This tealight lamp is one of the product from Pottery Barn whose sale supports St. Jude Children’s Hospital.

5) Heart of Haiti and Rwanda Path to Peace– Macy’s–http://www1.macys.com/shop/for-the-home/a-committed-partnership?id=61874&edge=hybrid  Macy’s has partnered with artisans in Haiti and Rwanda to sell their handmade products, included woven baskets and pottery items.  The revenue earned from these sales reduces poverty, reduces cases of malaria by providing netting, and allows families to purchase water purification tablets to provide clean drinking water.

6) Sweet Home Gifts–Dancing Deer Baking Company–http://www.dancingdeer.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=order&product_group_id=-45&product_id=0      35% of the retail sales price of Sweet Home cake and cookies gifts are donated to a scholarship program through One Family Inc.  These scholarships help homeless at and risk mothers further their education.

7) Global Girlfriends                            tps://www.globalgirlfriend.com/store/ggf/site  Global Girlfriends seeks to eradicate poverty by selling items handmade by women worldwide.  Proceeds provide micro-grants to women in Africa to start their own small businesses.

8) Camelback Groove Bottle–water.org–https://www.globalgirlfriend.com/store/ggf/site $10 of every purchase goes to Water.org to provide safe water and sanitation to countries across Africa, South Asia, and Central America.

9) National Zoo Store–Smithsonian National Zoological Park–http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Shop/ Every purchase supports the conservation, education, and research efforts of the Smithsonian’s National Zoo

10) Thanks for Sharing–Macy’s–http://www1.macys.com/m/campaign/give-back/index  Macy’s credit card holders can designate a portion of their purchases made from September through December each year to go to one of several charities.  Charities include American Heart Association, Make A Wish, the Boys and Girls Clubs, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

Getting in the Christmas Spirit with Samaritan’s Purse

Christmas is six weeks away, but it’s not too early to start getting in the Christmas spirit by blessing others.  Like many churches around the country, my church is participating in Operation Shoebox, a ministry of Samaritan’s Purse.The girls in our Girls Ministries program filled shoeboxes with gifts to be given to a boy or girl in a foreign country.  For many of these children, it will be the first Christmas gift they have ever received.  Each of our seven classes filled one or two shoeboxes.  A few of them are depicted below.

Shoeboxes to be sent to Samaritan’s Purse to distribute to children worldwide.

There is still time for you to participate in this important ministry.  You can use your own shoebox or pick up a decorated box at your local Christian bookstore or Chick fil A restaurant.  If you use your own, please wrap it in Christmas paper.  Fill the box with some toys, personal hygiene products, school and art supplies, hard candies, or other small gifts.  Use your imagination and ask God to give your ideas for your box.

When the box is ready, put a rubber band around it and indicate if it is for a boy or girl and the appropriate age range.  Drop off the box at a local collection point.  Go to http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/OCC/Drop_Off_Locations/ to find the drop off location nearest you.  For more information on the ministry of Samaritan’s Purse, go to www.samaritanspurse.com

Box collection started today and goes through next Monday, November 19.  It’s not too late, but time is running out.  If you are able to participate, you will bless a child and share with them the true spirit of Christ. And in doing so, you will be blessed in return.   

Acts 20:35, “In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”

“Do You Love Me?”

A few weeks ago Lisa Whelchel announced she was divorcing her husband after more than 23 years of marriage. Yesterday I watched a video of an interview she did with Jeff Probst in which Lisa said that she was never really in love with her husband.  Lisa explained that she thought she was following God’s will for her life by marrying her husband, yet her heart was never committed to the relationship.

As I listened to the interview, I was reminded of  the very touching scene in Fiddler on the Roof where Tevye asks Golde if she loves him.  Golde tries to avoid answering but finally concludes that all they have shared in 25 years of marriage is the definition of love.  The song ends with each professing their love for the other and concludes with “It doesn’t change a thing, but even so, after twenty-five years, it’s nice to know.”

It’s not my place to judge Lisa or to try to determine what was right for her and her family.  However, my heart breaks at the realization that a Christian couple who have tried to follow God’s will for their lives could live together for more than two decades and raise a family without truly bonding with one another.  Tevye and Golde are right when they conclude that going through the ups and downs of life together really does constitute love.  I’m sorry Lisa was not able to come to the same conclusion.  I wish her all the best as she moves forward in life as a single Christian woman,  and I pray that she will find the lasting love that she seems to have missed in her recently-ended marriage.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with Fiddler on the Roof, I encourage you to check out the video of “Do You Love Me?”   starring Topol as Tevye and Norma Crane as Golde:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_y9F5St4j0 .  It’s a beautiful song and a touching scene as these two long-married people finally reveal the love that is in their hearts.

Should Christians Celebrate Halloween?

Tonight, October 31, children across American will don costumes and take to the street to collect candy from their neighbors in the annual celebration of Halloween.  As a Christian, I have struggled with whether Christians  should (1) celebrate Halloween, (2) ignore Halloween, or (3) partake in an alternative activity, such as a Fall festival.  I have given this much thought over the years and have decided that for me, as a Christian, providing a wholesome, safe alternative to traditional Halloween celebrations is most in line with my beliefs.

As a child, I looked forward to Halloween only because I received lots of free candy.  Our family was never put up elaborate decorations or tried to scare young children.  We simply dressed up and collected candy from our neighbors, then came home to examine our loot and start eating it.  

When I hit my teens, our church began offering an alternative event to Halloween.  Children were permitted to dress in “nice” costumes and were treated to an evening of fun, games, and food.  It was basically like going to a party.  I enjoyed these Halloween-alternative events more than our past tradition of walking around the neighborhood to get candy. As an adult, I have helped to put on many such events at my church.

My boys have always loved to dress up in costumes.

Halloween isn’t all fun and candy, however.  There is a distinctly dark aspect of Halloween.  Witches, ghosts, and goblins are displayed throughout neighborhoods.  Horror films abound on television.  Haunted houses are erected.  This scary, evil part of Halloween is what makes many Christians object to the entire celebration.  They feel the day glorifies Satan, while at the same time teaching children that Satan is a fictional character.  If the scary parts of Halloween are make-believe, then Satan probably is make-believe, also.  Unfortunately, Satan is very real and he is using every opportunity to deceive people and keep them from believing the truth.

So, why then, would I as a Christian support and participate in any events on October 31?  Psalm 118:24 tells us, “This is the day that the Lord has made.”  Every day belongs to God.  We have not been instructed to give over even one day to Satan.  Therefore, I will not be silent on October 31.  I will not ignore this day.  By offering alternative celebrations, I believe we reclaim October 31 as a day belonging to God.

Additionally, by offering an alternative to children, we have the opportunity to provide a safe environment for children to have fun.  Children need to see that the Christian way of life is not a life of restrictions but rather a life of opportunity and freedom.  Jesus came “that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”  (John 10:10)  We are trying to introduce children to the freedom and joy that comes from making Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  Having a event on October 31 is one way to do that.

Our church will host a Trunk or Treat event tonight. Along with candy, children will participate in games and be fed dinner. They will also get a brief introduction to Jesus Christ.  We will not be celebrating Halloween.  We will be celebrating the Creator of the Universe–the one who makes October 31 possible.

How will you honor God this day?

Trunk or Treat car