Okay, so technically, we don't know yet. As crazy as it is driving all of us, my brother and sister-in-law refuse to find out just to ease our curiosity. Rather selfish, don't you think? But seriously, look at this face, is this not the face of the cutest little baby boy you've ever seen?
This child will hate me if it turns out to be a girl.
I have the benefit of currently working in the same office as my sister (in-law, technically, but really, she's a sister!) and thus get the updates when she comes back from visiting her doctor. And today she came back with a little teddy bear that holds the recording of my nephew's heartbeat (I'm not kidding, I am set on this being a boy!).
And it is simply the most beautiful sound there is.
As I listened to it, I couldn't help but be in wonder that I serve the God that beats that little heart. The God that designed tiny little fingers and tiny little toes, and skin so soft there's nothing else that compares to it. The God who created button noses and little giggles and squeals.
I serve the God who is so good He gave us babies.
Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother's womb. I thank you, High God-you're breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration-what a creation! You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, The days of my life all prepared before I'd even lived one day. Your thoughts-how rare, how beautiful! God, I'll never comprehend them! I couldn't even begin to count them- any more than I could count the sand of the sea.
I thoroughly enjoy you! Please remind me that I can still have the parts of you that remain. I'm sorry that all you do is decrease. I bet you love babies, in whom you get to live as richly as you will ever live. Just a thought. You are welcome to withhold me from whatever you wish.
The New Year is upon us. The start of a new year means different things to different people.
For some it is a whole new beginning; a fresh start that they've been looking forward to.
For others it is yet another step closer to the end, the end of an era, the end of a life, but an end all the same.
For some it's the end of a year that they are ready to be done with. For others it is the end of the year of a lifetime. Some anticipate it, some dread it.
How 'bout you? Where do you find yourself in these final days of 2009?
Have you thought about your plans for 2010? Have you taken time to identify your walnuts (God's will for your life) and examine your rice? (the busy-ness of life?)
May I be so bold to choose your #1 walnut for the coming year: Read God's word!
For those who are already doing so, consider switching it up this year - read from a new translation, or if you've been reading from a modern day translation, read from the King James Version this year. Ask God to help you understand what you're reading and how it applies to your life. Ask God to speak Truth from His word into your everyday busy-ness. He delights in our search to grow in our relationship with Him!
If you are thinking "I've tried that, I didn't understand it, why bother wasting my time" think on this: Do you understand how the water from an aquifer deep below the earth's surface gets into the pipes that connect to your sink? Really? Do you understand how it gets cleaned and purified before it cleans your clothes, your dishes, and your body? Really?
Do you understand, really understand, how putting the gas nozzle in that little hole transfers fuel from the pump to your vehicle and in turn works with all the pieces and parts in the engine to get you where you need to go? Really?
Do you fully understand how flipping a switch on the wall lights up a dark room? Do you understand that whole "energy conversion" process? Really?
And if you don't understand it do you still use it or do you say "I don't understand it so I'm not even going to try to use it!"
Honestly, God's word is at times a mystery to me. Yet even when I don't fully understand it, I still know that when it's in me it changes me, it cleans and purifies me - my thoughts, my desires - it works with all the parts in my life to get me where I need to be. It lights me up, even during the darkest days. What I do understand is life changing for me, and what I don't understand I choose to take by faith.
Give it a try, choose this year - 2010 - to read God's word each and every day. Make it a walnut in your life. And if you miss a day, don't give up! It's a bit like starting a diet - a spiritual diet - if you miss a day on your diet you don't stop eating 'til January 1 of the following year! Same with reading God's word, if you miss a day don't think you need to wait until next year to start reading again!
Reading God's word is spiritual nutrition for our souls! We must ingest nutrients in order to live a healthy physical life, otherwise we will be malnourished. We must read God's word to live a healthy spiritual life; otherwise we will be spiritually malnourished.
If you search "one year Bible" you can print a daily reading guide. (and if you use www.goodsearch.com for your search engine you can support Circle of Friends Ministries of Sugarcreek, Ohio in the process!)
There are many Bibles designed especially for this purpose. Whether you choose to use your own Bible with a reading guide or a specific one year devotional type Bible is simply your personal preference. Choose whatever works best for you - but choose, this day, to allow God's word to work in your life, in your heart, and in your soul. Really!
Until next time.
Beth
Psalm 119:105, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path."(NIV)
I'm so glad that even though I'm getting older, exciting adventures can still happen to me! Not too long ago I had the wonderful opportunity to fly in an airplane piloted by my son's father-in-law.
My son wanted to know if I was nervous or scared of flying in a small plane - but honestly, I didn't feel any concern at all! Maybe because Mark is an experienced pilot, or perhaps it was his wife Ruthie's relaxed calm (she slept on the way home!) or maybe it was just that I didn't have time to be nervous because I was so excited I wanted to bounce up and down on the seat like a little kid and ask about a kajillion questions. I managed to restrain myself - (by sitting on my hands and staring and staring out the window!)
With the engine noise, props, and wind speed it was pretty loud inside the cockpit so we wore head sets the whole way. It was sort of overcast when we started out, but when we rose above the clouds we were flying in the sunshine. And then we were right in the clouds! It was like a cotton candy ride at a carnival - surfing the top of the clouds, flying through them - awesome! We finally dropped back down where we had less wind resistance and turbulence and could get better airspeed.
After spending the day in Indianapolis, we flew back that night. Oh. My. Goodness! The lights below - the clear night sky with brilliant stars above - and a black horizon straight out in front of us. And then we were in the clouds again. At night, surrounded by a thick bank of clouds, the airplane's strobe lights bounced off the wall of white like lightening rods in a thunder storm. It was a little disconcerting not being able to see anything and knowing we were 5000 feet in the air. We could have been flying sideways, upside down, even straight down and I wouldn't have known the difference.
I found myself thinking that life can be like that impenetrable fog, not knowing what's ahead, what you might run into. As a trained and experienced pilot, Mark wasn't flying by sight - he used all the instruments on board that gave him the information he needed to keep us flying level and in the right direction.
Our guidance comes from God and His word. Without that 'instrument' to help us, we could end up flying upside down and sideways through life.
The view from the air is so very different than the one from the ground! When we can't see our way, or the journey gets difficult, we can struggle with not being able to see the end of the difficulty or the solution to the problem.
From the air, your whole perspective changes. God's view is not like ours from the ground where we see only obstacles. In His sovereignty, God knows the whole picture and sees the outcome long before we do.
When we rose above the clouds, we saw the sun that was hidden from those below us on the ground - a totally different perspective! Even watching the automobiles and traffic from the air gave new insight into seeing 'the big picture'. I could see miles ahead of the cars below while their view was obscured by hills, distance, and other vehicles.
Are you traveling some difficult pathways? Trust the One who can see where you are going!
Have you ever left the teapot boil till the water was all gone, or a sauce pan, perhaps in getting some hot water ready to make iced tea. Not much was left in the bottom of the pan...maybe just a burnt white ring?
Have you ever thought of boiling down Christmas? Mind you, I am not saying boiling away or doing away with Christmas. I am asking however if you have thought of reducing Christmas to the simplest of terms. What would describe Christmas if all the water was boiled away. What would it be if the bows and ribbons disappeared from the presents, and the wrapping paper, and the presents, and the tree, its lights, its cranberry strings, its tinsel, its ornaments, and even the star on the top...all gone...even the tree stand that we fight with to make the crooked trees stand up straight. And for the folks that have the perfectly straight, boxed trees, pre-lit trees, well for our consideration of boiling down Christmas, just leave that box in the attic. We are describing Christmas at its core level.
Could we live without that? And still have Christmas? Do those things make Christmas?
No special displays in the store. No wrapping paper aisles. No decoration aisles. No free gift wrapping centers. Just stores...business-as-usual stores. Not even the bell-ringers outside, and no coin pots hanging from bright red tripod stands. Not even long lines at the checkouts, when we have to make the quick trip to Walmart to get the items we need to cook for supper. Just business-as-usual stores.
Could we live life without those things? And still have Christmas? Do those things make Christmas?
Nobody wants to go here, but what if we did not even have time off work. No special family gatherings. No big meals. Leave the turkeys and the hams in the freezer this year. No need to pick up those two extra tubs of cool whip. The Date and Christmas puddings have not been made.
Have we totally lost our minds. Certainly now we have lost Christmas. Could we live like that? Well...you know some folks have to work on Christmas, having no family time, or special meals, certainly no homemade desserts. Nurses, Law enforcement, soldiers... Do they still have Christmas with work, and no family time, and an eat-on-the-run wrapped sandwich?
Certainly they do, and so could we, couldn't we?
What about our special church services? What if we boiled them away? Could we have Christmas without a children's play? Unthinkable! Or is it? We all probably could have done just fine without pastor preaching that 4 part Christmas series this year, but don't we need just one Christmas message to have Christmas? And...we do need candles and a candlelight service...It just would not be Christmas without them. Or would it?
What is Christmas in its simplest form? When all the stuff that does not really matter anyhow is completely boiled away.
Have you seen the recent TV commercial with the young lady doing a crossword puzzle and asks her mother for a 13 letter word, meaning "marriage proposal?" Only when her mother gets a puzzled look does she lift up her hand garnished with a diamond ring from behind the newspaper and exclaims, "He went to Jared."
Can we reduce Christmas to 15 letters, 13 letters...what about 11 letters. The eleven letters that we simply can not get away from when it comes to Christmas. Eleven letters in four one syllable words. Could we describe Christmas that way, without all the other trappings and events? Care to try with me?
GOD IS WITH US
GOD IS WITH US
There...does Christmas get any simpler than that? Can you make it any simpler than that? If you take away those letters, or any of them, certainly then you do not have Christmas.
The Holy God of Israel, clothed Himself in humanity and came to a REAL CITY, where there were REAL PARENTS, amazed over a REAL MANGER, when He cried REAL TEARS.
GOD IS WITH US
Those simple words are Christmas.
GOD IS WITH US
Those simple words changed history.
GOD IS WITH US
Those simple words change us.
When we realize we are lost. When we cry real tears over a real loss. When we do not know where to turn. When we face struggles and disappointment. We really need what is really Christmas. When we seek meaning to what seems to lack all sense. We really need what is really Christmas. When we are frightened or Confused we really need what is really Christmas.
GOD IS WITH US
"You shall call His name Emmanuel, which means...GOD IS WITH US" (Is.7:14) That is, and continues to be, CHRISTMAS!
*Used by permission, Excerpt, Christmas Eve program 2009, Pastor Ned Horsfall
As I've been thinking about what to write today, I've come to a realization. I have nothing profound or new to say about Christmas that hasn't been said before. Sorry to disappoint you! Really, I tried. I thought long and hard about it and got nowhere.
So instead of great words of wisdom, I decided to opt for honesty and what I'm learning this Christmas season. I've realized that my attitude about this holiday the past couple years has stunk. Seriously. I've pretty much thought the last few years, "Christmas isn't going to be special this year because." and fill in the blank. Because my parents were 14 hours away and I wasn't spending it with them, because I had to work, because my husband had to work, because we were celebrating on a day other than Christmas so Christmas day didn't feel like Christmas day, because we're poor and can't buy presents for anyone else or for each other, because I have to split time between my family and my in-laws, because we haven't really established our own traditions so Christmas feels different every year, and so on and so on.
Wait a minute, Christmas isn't going to be special???!!
How could I possibly think that? Have I somehow forgotten that the God of the universe, the Creator of all things, the Alpha and Omega, the Almighty, came to earth and took on our flesh? That He humbled Himself and walked among us? That He was born to die so that He might live again and save this girl who thinks that the day we celebrate His birth isn't that special?
Wow. Now I feel pretty humbled.
Unfortunately in this country we are soaked in a culture that sees this day as one that is all about material things. This season becomes one where most everyone is self-absorbed and concerned about money and presents. Did you know that every year we spend 450 billion dollars on Christmas and it would take only 10 billion to solve the world's clean water problem? Obviously, priorities are a little off. And it's so hard for us not to let that kind of thinking seep into our own lives. The call to be in and not of this world is not an easy thing.
But when I step back and look at this day as it should be looked at, as one that changed my life and my eternity forever, everything else just fades away. The tree, the lights, the gifts, the events of the day, really mean nothing at all when I think about Jesus being born so that one day He could die, and that by His sacrifice of living and dying I have hope and security and life through Him.
And the most amazing part of it all is that He thought I was special enough to do it all for.
I am excited to know You beyond the boundary of words, to know a joy that surpasses this. I want as much of you as this world will let me have. No. I want more. You truly are everything. Everything. And to think I am worthy of that? To think that this is the less glorious side of the gates..
Only three more days 'til CHRISTMAS - the Baby will finally be in place on the Advent Calendar! The secrets that have been kept for the past month will finally be opened!
Only two more days 'til Christmas Eve and the Christmas Eve services at church - the music of Christmas, the message of Christmas, the hope, the joy, the Reason for the Season!
And only one more day 'til all the chicks are back in the nest and all the beds are full again! I don't know who is more excited, my kids, or me.
I love having all of our family home. I love the full house, the busy kitchen, the sound of the washing machine running endlessly (absence really does make the heart grow fonder!), the laughter, the joy.
I love the family gatherings that happen during the Christmas season. Spending time with my sister and her family, her grandbabies make up for the lack of babies at our house these days! Spending Christmas day at Grandpa Bob and Grandma Esther's house (still my favorite in-laws in the whole wide world!) with laughter, joy, and a round or two, or three, of Hungarian Rummy (who will be the grand champ this year? Stacy again - or will a new champion be crowned?). Peg's pies, Ashleigh's cookies, and, new sis-in-law, Kristen is sure to find her holiday cooking nitch!
I love the cards we receive, the Christmas letters that catch us up to date. The family pictures - we even received an ultrasound picture, what a great way to announce the coming of the newest sweet Bartow baby!
I love the songs, the lights, and the excitement in our kids.
I love the fact that God chose a very strange way to save the world. And I love that my friend Lisa recorded that very song this Christmas for all of us to ponder and enjoy.
A strange way, a very strange way, to save the world; that the God of the universe, Creator of Heaven, earth, and everything in it, chose to come to earth as a babe; to humble Himself, to walk the paths He knew we would walk, all to make way for our salvation, for a life spent in fellowship with Him, and for the promise of eternity.
As you celebrate His birth may you pause to reflect on the Father's great love for you!
JOY TO THE WORLD THE LORD HAS COME LET EARTH RECEIVE HER KING!
In this wonderful season of giving, I am reminded of the Greatest Gift, Jesus our Savior, from the Greatest Gift Giver, God our Heavenly Father, brought to us by the Greatest Gift Bearer, the Holy Spirit. Are you a good gift giver?
Here's a few ideas for gift-giving that you may not have thought of:
Time - Our world seems to move at techno lightspeed, and we can find ourselves so busy doing that we rush from one thing to another. Do you have a child tugging at your pant leg for attention, a weary husband who wants a conversation while you are busy with the kids and getting supper on the table, a boss with projects and deadlines to keep, extended family obligations and errands to run - I'm getting exhausted just thinking about it! Sometimes it takes setting aside everything else and making time for those we love to give one of the best gifts we could offer anyone - ourselves. Our time.
Acceptance - We all have preconceived notions of how people should behave and live - even down to their appearance and speech. Did you know that we can't actually 'fix' anyone - except ourselves? If we are willing to accept the people in our lives just as they are without trying to change them we have given them a great gift. I'm not talking about compromising your own beliefs, I'm talking about unconditional love. A love that allows people to be themselves, to live their own life, to travel their own journey. You might be surprised at where they end up - and be blessed with a wonderful relationship along the way.
Seeing the Best in People -This may go hand-in-hand with acceptance, but when we focus on the positive, instead of the negative, we allow people to develop and grow and mature into their best. Recognize and accept the positive - and you more than likely will see positive results!
Encouragement - Everyone responds to a word of praise or appreciation. And it doesn't take much to think of things to be grateful for and to speak those words to others. Complaints spread like a bad virus, but 'a word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver' (Prov. 25:11) Giving the gift of encouragement to someone else will lift your own heart.
Listening - I don't know about you, but I feel especially loved if people remember what I've said to them. I know they've listened. I know they care. It makes me feel special. Undivided attention and active listening are gifts that never get old or wear out.
Fun and Laughter - "A merry heart doeth good like medicine" (Prov. 17:22) When was the last time you spent just enjoying those around you? Making the ordinary extraordinary by bringing joy and laughter into the every day of life. You will not only enjoy yourself, but you will make memories that last a lifetime - you will give the gift of a 'merry heart that has a continual feast' (Prov. 15:15)
Give the best gifts this year - gifts like forgiveness and prayer that are eternal rather than temporary.
"Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." Mt. 6:38
Do you get a little anxious around the holiday season? If we aren't careful, the whole gift-giving thing can turn into one stressed-out nightmare.
I confess, in years past Christmas was an anxious time for me. Wanting my children to know the real meaning of Christmas and yet longing to give them gifts they would like and enjoy... wondering if we would have money to buy gifts on a pastor's salary...
Though I struggled with falling into the world's trap of glitter and lights - longing for what seemed to be just out of my reach - in the end I discovered that it was the simple things that give the most lasting pleasure. The eternal things. And you know what? Even through the anxious years, it always seemed to work out just fine - despite my worries there was always something under the tree for the kids and lots of laughter and love. Though it took me awhile to learn the lesson, eventually I gave up being anxious and learned to trust God to handle the details.
And my children? Like most of us, they don't remember the 'stuff' they got for Christmas - they remember the times spent together as a family. The candlelight services, the reading of the Christmas story, and celebrating Christmas with their church family.
Several years ago my children and their spouses were all newlyweds (all three of my kids decided to get married within a year of each other!) We declared 'no gifts' at Christmas so there wouldn't be any financial strain on the young couples (or on my husband and I who were in transition and 'homeless' at the time).
It all sounded good, but I didn't want to miss out on the specialness of giving gifts - so 'Mom' declared that everyone would make gifts. (Yes, I hear the groans - but hang in there with me) Which is exactly what I told the kids - we would draw names, pray for the person whose name we drew, and create a gift for them. Once we got over the 'are you kidding me?' stage ideas started flying - You could draw a picture, write or sing a song, frame a favorite photo, share a memory, do a special job for someone...
On the day of our gift exchange, we were all actually pretty excited. And when we began to share our gifts we realized how wonderful an idea it really was. My daughter kept a prayer journal for her sister-in-law - and then she gave the journal to her as her present. My daughter-in-law downloaded guitar chords off a free site on the internet for songs off a new cd and gave them in a notebook to my daughter's husband - he was thrilled! The boys made up songs that had us falling off the couch with laughter, I wrote a child's story book for my son whose wife was expecting their first child. My gift from my son was a wonderful poem which he framed and sits on my dresser. A corn-hole game, a video, a worship cd by my daughter and son-in-law, and a framed drawing are some of the other gifts that have been created and given.
The whole 'make your own gift' idea that was met with groans ended up to be one of the best traditions we've had as a family! It has moved us away from the temporal towards the eternal. It has given us a rich sense of connectedness and wonderful memories of fun and a surprising amount of excitement and anticipation.
Try giving gifts of the heart this year - they last forever, you know.
I really do love to look at Christmas decorations-AFTER they have all been finely arranged. And that is usually in someone else's home! I do put up decorations each year; although each year I say I will NOT do any decorating-yeah, right. Truth be told, I really do love pulling out the decorations from underneath the basement steps. It actually motivates me to clean under there-mostly remainders of small crawling things. Sorting through each container is like stepping back in time-each piece has a memory associated with it. I need to force myself to stay on task so I don't end up with STUFF strewn everywhere. Oh wait. When I am DONE decorating, I do have STUFF STREWN EVERYWHERE! But it is a joyful 'strewn'-and meaningful to my family anyway.
If visitors would openly express their invisible thought bubbles above their heads, I might hear comments such as, "What was she thinking?" and, "I can't believe she kept THAT!" or maybe, "WHAT IS THAT?!" (Put the emphasis on any of those three words; it all works.) I must confess, most of my decorations are an eclectic collection of my children's works of 'art'-beginning many years ago. I simply will not get rid of it. Each item has a sweet story to tell and holds a piece of my heart. Although there are many items my kids (do you still call them 'kids' when they are long ago all grown up?) would be happy if I pitched, they also admit that pulling out those same decorations year after year-while laughing and wondering, "What WERE we thinking?"-is just one of the precious elements of the Christmas season. Most of the other decorative items that are not gifts from them, or from someone else, are 'gifts' from garage sales. It doesn't seem to matter though. We all love when it all gets set in its special ordained place. I think it must have something to do with 'familiarity'. Familiarity feels safe.
As I think back to my childhood, I realize how safe and friendly 'familiarity' felt to me. Each Christmas season brought out the SAME decorations, and traditions, in that family of mine. Mom put on her "Firestone" Christmas album collection-vinyl on the Hi-Fi. (Does ANYBODY know what I am talking about?!) The REAL tree would be brought in. Dad would string the lights-excuse me; we called them 'bulbs' back then. They were BIG! Then, it was his self-appointed labor of love to hang four ornaments-each identical to the other-way at the top of the tree. They were exquisite looking-at least in my young eyes. Mom would pull out the advent wreath and place it on the round coffee table (as it was called way back when). After all of us children (eventually, there were nine of us!) finished hanging the ornaments, it was time for those classic ICICLES. Yes, those silver, shimmery strands of-TEDIOUSNESS! My parents always instructed us (as if we could ever forget!) to HANG THEM ONE AT A TIME! I did find a way to hang two or three at a time without getting caught. Okay-I'm quite sure they really did know; they just chose not to engage in that battle.
During the holiday season it was my dad who spent days baking delightful cookies. He would carefully place each kind in a freezer container and build up the supply over time. All of us kids found a way to sneak an occasional cookie by taking one out of the back of the container. Well, duh; of course Dad discovered our antics when he opened the containers to find the back half of the container empty. I don't remember him being upset by that. I do remember him experimenting with recipes. Now that I think about it, I don't even remember him using recipes! That would explain some things. Seriously, ALL of his cookie creations were fantastic. His cobblers were a different story. Maybe I'll write about them another time. Let's just say they seemed to share some of the same characteristics as the wheat paste that we used for paper mache projects.
So many memories; so much familiarity; and I thank God for ALL of it-even the stuff that may not have been so pleasant. The other day when one of my students asked me what I did "last night", I told him, "I called my mom; then I called my dad." My words hit me in a whole new way. It used to be, "I called my mom and dad", because they lived together. Not any more. Mom continues to journey deeper into the unknown realm of dementia (I'm afraid to even ask her if she knows who I am-don't really want to know the answer if it's not the 'right' one!). She seems content in her assisted living surroundings-who really knows? Dad just moved into a different house; one I have yet to see. There will be no more family gatherings in that big, oh so familiar house. There will be no more setting up of the family tree. Yes, even though I have been out of their home for 30+ years, some of those early childhood traditions continued in their home.
It can be quite difficult to transition into 'new traditions' when we simply want to hang on to the 'used to be's'. Change is inevitable. So-when faced with change, face it with the 'unchanging One'-God. Change will never surprise Him. He will never wring His hands and say, "I didn't know THAT was going to happen!" He is in control of all change, and He delights in guiding us through the 'newness' of it. So, as I continue to decorate with what is near and dear to my heart-the old and familiar!-I will also continue to seek His face and hold His hand as I will surely need to continue to journey into the unfamiliar.
"Sweet Lord, I thank You that everything is completely familiar to You; nothing surprises You. You make me ready for whatever You have planned. Please help me to be ready and willing to go 'there' with You."
Unless you enjoy being reduced to a shadow of your former self, I suggest you find another host. ((We both know that you have more of me than I let on. You always will, as I will always deny you.)) I know you are conscious of the beauty you attempt to hold from me. But my Ruler is stronger than you.
The tree is finally up. I was beginning to think it might not happen this year. Too many basketball games to attend seemed to be resulting in too little time to decorate the house.
But then it happened. I had a day at home. Alone. YEA! I can accomplish so much on those quiet days. And having accomplished much I can now enjoy the delight I see in my kid's eyes as the Christmas lights reflect in their eyes and spirit. They've been counting down the days on the Advent calendar since December 1, but there is something about having the tree in place that stirs their excitement in that beautiful childlike way.
I'm a bit nostalgic this year, perhaps due to the oldest child being on her own. My chicks are starting to leave the nest - which is good, don't get me wrong! - I took some time to go back and look at some Christmas pictures from the past. Most are in photo albums but some are stored on the computer - which makes it much easier to share those memories.
*Editor's Note: Our guest blogger today is a wife, home-schooling mom, photographer and cook-extraordinaire. She is a woman of deep faith and has been an encouragement in my life for many years. You can find her on the web at her blog Chocolatechicwhere you will find recipes, photos, and slices of humorous wisdom that will brighten your day.
My favorite Christmas carol is Silent Night.
I was laying in bed the other morning singing it to myself and I began thinking.
Silent night, holy night
All is calm, all is bright.
But you know what.
It was everything but silent, or calm.
You see the governor had made a law that every male had to go to the city of his birth to be counted for a census. He, his wife and all his children.
And you have to think.there was no birth control back then, so a family of 10 wasn't unusual.
So you have this wee little town that the population suddenly explodes to at least 10 times it's original size.
That would be like taking the population of my town, 10,000, and suddenly it is 100,000.
Food, lodging, traffic..nightmare!
All the hotels were full, but not just full.they were overflowing. People sleeping on the floors, in the hallways, in the lobby. I'm sure that almost every residential house had guests too.
Then where do you put all the donkeys, sheep, camels, chickens, goats, etc.
The barns were overflowing too.
Children running everywhere, throwing fits because they were out of their element, mothers trying to gain some semblance of order, fathers trying to figure out where to go, and how much this trip was costing them, and then the parents are bickering too.
That equals utter chaos.
This is what Mary and Joseph walked into.
And they had to stay in the barn.
A barn that was chock full of animals.
Animals are not quiet.
And what hotel/inn/B&B keeper has time to clean out the barn when his establishment is totally overrun with people?
So, it is safe to say that Christ wasn't born into a sweet little barn where every animal was in a fresh clean stall, all calm and happy.
It was filthy, smelly and noisy.
It was here that Christ met Mary and Joseph, it was here that He met the shepherds, and it is here where he meets you and I.
In the utter chaos of our lives, laundry piling up, bills piling up, children running amuck, bickering spouses, medical issues, in the calm and peaceful times...meet Him where you are.
I don't know a more difficult subject to address (and live out in obedience!) than forgiveness. Just when we think we have it all figured out - someone comes along and hurts or betrays us and we have to go back to the Word. Let's face it; what the Bible has to say about forgiving others is sometimes difficult for us to swallow. And even more difficult for us to put into practice.
In Ephesians (chapter four, verse thirty-two) Paul urges us that we are to be "forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you" and in case we missed it, he says the same thing again in Colossians 3:13. How can we measure the forgiveness of Christ? Hasn't He forgiven us not once, but over and over again? When we take what God has given us (forgiveness, grace, mercy) and refuse to share it with others we throw God's gifts right back in His face. It makes light of Christ's sacrifice on the cross. Anyone unwilling to forgive does not understand the heart of God - it is who He is! Are we going through the motions of belief, of accepting what God has given us, but denying it to others? In Luke 6:38 Jesus warns us that the measure we use for others will be the same one used for us.
Refusing to forgive has serious consequences. In Matthew 18:21-35 when Peter asks the Lord how many times he should forgive someone Jesus tells him the parable of the unforgiving servant. I've heard it said that perhaps when Jesus tells Peter to forgive 'seventy times seven' He means to forgive that person over and over again for the same offense! That puts a whole new twist on things, doesn't it?
Our human hearts resist this thought. Isn't dealing with it once enough? Why am I the one who has to give over and over, when I'm the one that was hurt? When your heart cries out, "It's not fair!" Remember that God sees far beyond this moment in time - each person has been given free will as you have. Ezekial 33:20 tells us that God 'will judge every one of you according to his own ways.'
"The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.Yet you say, 'The way of the Lord is not fair.' Hear now, O house of Israel, is it not My way which is fair, and your ways which are not fair?'" Ezekial 18:20, 25. The Lord is a righteous judge - a holy God who is fair to all. We are a people full of prejudice and selfishness, blinded by our own desires and woundedness. This is a hard teaching but one we need to grasp - God is the one who will judge, not us. Whatever offenses have been committed against us - we still need to respond as the Lord would have us - with forgiveness. But how?
Be honest. Acknowledge your hurts and the wounds others have inflicted. 'Stuffing' (ignoring or denying pain) does not resolve it, contrarily, it puts it in a pressure cooker and one day it will explode. Our emotions are real and are a natural consequence of simply experiencing life. It is not wrong to have emotions - the key is what we do with them. Acknowledge them to yourself, and to God - bring them back to Him (again and again if necessary). The second part of being honest is being honest about yourself. Recognizing your own sin first will keep 'the beam'(Matthew 7:3-5) out of your eye and help you not to knock anyone out with it!
Pray for those who have hurt you. It is surprising what happens when we pray. Prayer doesn't change things - it changes us! Our attitude and perspective change when we focus on God and His Word - when we put ourselves in the posture and position of seeing other people through His eyes, not our own skewed perspective. Understanding ourselves and others comes more readily when our focus is off ourselves and onto other people. The Word tells us to put others first, to love our enemies, pray for those who persecute us - this is not a natural human response - this is supernatural and can only be done through His Spirit. Remember - this is more about obedience than about what we feel. We are not going to feel like praying for someone who has betrayed us - but we can be obedient to God and pray for them. He will change us (and our feelings) and help us move beyond the wall of hurt and pain that is blocking us from an intimate relationship with Him.
Remember this is not a one-time deal. There is no 'blanket coverage' in forgiveness - it takes work! Often times hurts re-surface and some things need to be dealt with again (and perhaps again and again). The good news is, the more we exercise the process of forgiveness (giving it to the Lord and praying for His unconditional love for that person) the less time it will take us to work through the hurt. Many people think that forgetting must come with forgiveness. This is a misconception. We choose to forgive, and in choosing we must remember the offenses and forgive in spite of them!
Don't go there. Once you've made the decision to forgive, don't allow yourself to dwell on the past. This is very different from denial of pain, or pretending the hurt never happened, or even trying the quick-fix-cover-up 'forget about it'. This involves acknowledging the wrong done, and choosing to love the person anyway. Love is an action, a choice, a verb, an act of our will. Not only will hurts resurface because of circumstances, but we can sometimes be like small children with a scab that we just won't quit picking at and consequently won't let it heal. It takes some practice, but you can change your thinking patterns. When you find yourself re-hashing the hurt, use Scripture to bring your mind back to the truth and re-focus on what God has done for you, and what He continues to do.
Move past the 'poor me' stage. Sometimes we like the role of victim because it is a handy excuse to bash the other guy and let ourselves off the hook. Who of us has never offended another? How is it possible to 'turn the other cheek'? The reality is if we try we may get slapped on the other side! So how can you bear the pain? Christ will bear it for us. The consequences of our responseto what others do rest on our shoulders. God's standards remain true across the board. They don't change just because the hurt becomes personal.
Continue to confess your own sin. It is tough to admit we might have had a part in broken relationships (made bad choices, held wrong attitudes, acted out of anger, spite, etc.) Few problems are totally one-sided. Even in cases where they are - our response is critical if we do not want to move into a sinful attitude of our own. The root of bitterness grasps the soil of our heart very easily - and is difficult to weed out once it has taken hold. Then we find ourselves in the position of the offender, and possibly having wounded someone else.
Forgiveness is important not because of what it will do for someone else, but what it will do in our own hearts and lives!
If you've been reading this blog for a while, you might remember me talking about my husband losing his job a while ago. April 23rd, to be exact. I'll never forget that day, and I'll never forget that phone call.
The day my husband lost his job he found himself in the office of his former boss, hoping he could pick up shifts. He was still considered a PRN (as needed) employee although he hadn't actually worked there in over a year. That morning, she had received notification from HR that she needed to officially terminate his PRN status since he hadn't been there in so long. As she was working on the paperwork she noticed she had a voicemail. It was my husband, and she desperately needed extra help at the hospital at that time. It meant a huge pay cut, night shifts, evening shifts, and weekends, and a lot of time alone at home by myself when I didn't want to be, but it was work. On the same day we got that terrible news God had provided for us. His perfect timing. Amazing. There was no doubt from day one that His hand was in it all.
Since that time we've struggled to put together enough shifts to pay the bills, had a thousand dollar car repair, had three promising jobs fall through, a lot of disappointment, a lot of frustration, and a lot of stress. But somehow, we've also managed to make every payment on time, found cash stuffed in our pockets and checks in the mail, and had a free stay at the beach and another in the mountains. God hasn't prevented hard things from happening, but at the same time He's provided for us in ways that only He can.
A couple months ago my husband was approached by an acquaintance about a potential job. He had a good first interview, an even better second interview, and heard from someone who knew someone that things were looking very promising and that a job offer from HR should be coming. After an eight week process, we found out that he hadn't gotten the job. Meanwhile, my brother had been pursuing a job opportunity for Eric at the place where he worked. We were both disheartened at that point, but he applied for it nonetheless. Last Monday, he had his first interview, Thursday he had his second, and Friday he got a job offer!
Just a couple hours after typing that last sentence, I found out that this company is now offering Eric 10% less than what he was told a few days ago. Not exactly what we wanted to hear. Yes, it's an answer to the employment problem, but it's not an answer to the debt problem or to the desire to start a family. Once again we find ourselves in a place where we feel like we'll be spinning our wheels, just like we've been doing for the last two and a half years.
The thing I have to remind myself is even if we feel like we're spinning our wheels, God's still got a hold of the car and He's moving it along just the way He wants to. Is it easy? Absolutely not. I feel like I've faced more disappointments this last year then was my fair share. So much that was within our grasp has been snatched away.
But when James says to "Consider it pure joy when you face trials of many kinds" he means it. Because when it's all said and done, it's not about having comfort or an easy life or leftover money at the end of every month, it's about how I live this life, and how I serve my Savior.
He hasn't let go of us yet, and I know that He won't. Even when things don't go exactly the way I want or how I plan them, He still hasn't failed me.
Lamentations 3:22
Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.
*Editors Note: If you are a follower of Circle of Friends blog you will know that we have several contributors as well as guest bloggers. We are delighted that "Em's Journal" will become a regular feature! Not to confuse you, but we will now have two Emilys writing for us (Emily Smith and Emily Jones - don't you love it?) Em's journal will be labeled 'Em's Journal' while Emily will remain 'Emily' - clear as mud? For a wonderful story on God's sense of humor and how God works His mysterious ways readhereandhere. These precious young women are both creative and gifted writers and challenge me with their spiritual insight, wisdom, and humor. Enjoy!
Dear Comfort,
You are a fleeting love- destructible, unfaithful. It seems I could never depend on you. I still love you, and you should know you are always welcome here. But I will not miss you when you are gone. Forgive me in advance for my ambition- when I decide to turn the tables and leave you first.
Are you ready for another confession from this peace lover?
Here it is: There was a time when keeping everyone "happy" was my number one goal. And then there came a time that I realized that my goal of keeping everyone, including my hubby and kids, happy (all of them at the same time ALL the time please) was impossible.
You know what I learned in the midst of that journey? A very important truth: If my goal is to keep those I love happy we will all be miserable from the work it entails and the self-centered focus it results in. Yet if my goal is to see them healthy, happiness tends to follow.
That truth follows every aspect of our lives, physically, emotionally and spiritually. It affects us in body, mind and soul.
It's true at play, at school, at work, at church, in hobbies, in ministry, in grocery as well as Christmas shopping, in surfing the web, in physical exercise, in sports, in everything!
Pursue good health: healthy relationships, healthy thoughts; healthy habits, healthy choices, and happiness tends to follow!
What keeps us from being healthy? In John 5 Jesus asks the question of the paraplegic by the pool "Do you want to be healthy?" The man answered with all the reasons why he couldn't get there, to which Jesus replied ".pick up your mat and walk!"
Have you ever done that in your own life? Do you ever take time to stop and look at an area of your life that you know isn't healthy and find yourself listing the reasons why it is the way it is? Ever take a peak at the areas that you're hoping no else notices? (For insight into that area read Janet Stutzman's "CLOSET" devotionals - to read them all click on the 'Janet Stutzman' label) Typically those are the areas where you are stuck doing the same unhealthy thing over and over again.
I have been there; at times I'm still there.
The answer is the same for me.
DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! Pick up "your mat" and walk! Ask someone to help you walk, but walk! Find someone to walk with you, someone to help you recognize and change the unhealthy habits that have led to the impossible place you find yourself in.
I believe healthy relationships are essential in keeping us motivated toward healthy living in every area of our lives. Show me a person who is unhealthy in most any area of their life and I will show you a person who has put a barrier up around that area and is not allowing anyone to go there.
I'm not talking about the person with the "named" disease. Honestly I believe there are people with cancer who are "healthier" than those of us with unhealthy lifestyle habits! I think of my friend Cheryl. When diagnosed with cancer one of the first things she did was let her family and friends know, and those same people walked beside her thru that journey. She would tell you her healthy relationships were essential in the midst of her physical unhealthiness.
What keeps us from asking for help? Fear? Pride? Shame? Fatigue? Previous hurt? The reasons can be many but the outcome is the same: isolation and defeat. The evil one would keep us separated from one another because he knows there is strength in numbers. It is why isolation is used as a form of punishment in prisons; as a form of torture in war. When we isolate ourselves it is yet another unhealthy choice that will keep us in the defeated place we are in. We are hiding, and when we hide no one can help us.
Help usually begins with a relationship. First and foremost with God thru the person of Jesus Christ, and then with the healthy relationships He has planned for our lives. Look around you, who has God placed in your life to encourage your health? It may be a medical doctor, a professional counselor; it may simply be a good friend to speak truth into your life, hold you accountable and study God's word with you to see what He has to say about the subject.
The very goal of keeping everyone happy drove me to that point of hiding. I was stuck within seeing distance of the "answer" but I was too ashamed to actually do anything about it. After all "what would people think if they knew I needed help in this area?"
God knew I'd be there someday. He planned healthy relationships for my life even before I realized I needed them. He's like that you know. Always looking out for our health - knowing that happiness, and even flat out joy, will follow!
A healthy relationship with our heavenly Dad is a life that leads to something much greater than happiness - it is a life filled with joy, with contentment, with peace, even in the midst of the battle called life.
A healthy relationship with our heavenly Dad tends to impact the health of our relationships with our earthly friends.
Healthy relationships with our earthly friends in turn affect our personal health, physically, emotionally and spiritually.
And happiness really does follow a healthy body, mind and soul.
"I was about to be found-by my circle of friends." Let's pick up the story here. During this hard place, Beth (not knowing anything specific about what was hiding in me) would check in with me with her usual dose of encouragement and some hard questions (only one of the reasons why I love her!).
I responded with positive 'tip of the iceberg' answers while keeping the massive, dangerous, hidden part of the iceberg quiet. Then Lisa and I began to talk about some 'stuff'. Uh oh-I was letting more of the iceberg show. Okay, that's enough of that. Cover it all back up and move on. Leave the sleeping giants alone. Then, recently I was with a group of girlfriends. Business as usual. I looked at the clock and said to myself, "I'm outa here in five minutes."
Then Tammy spoke. It went something like this, "Before I leave I feel like I need to ask, (then she looks across the table right into my eyes. Honestly, I began to shake before she said another word. What is going on here?!) how are you, Libby?" With those four unassuming and simple words, I began to come undone. I held myself together-somewhat. I immediately thought to myself, "There are, like, FIVE other women at this table. WHY ME?" Then, out loud, I responded with "I'm fine-really." (Flash a fake smile.)
Then something happened. I'll describe it like this-it was as if I began to have a fight with myself. I said to my friends, "No, I'm not fine-I'm a mess; but it's okay-really." "I can't talk about it now; can't talk about it here." "Blah, blah, blah-" Do you know what those ladies did? They had the guts to say things like, "No, I really believe this is something you need to do now." They believed that God was zeroing in on me. I was really taken aback. I thought I had heard wrong, but I hadn't. They were not going to let me go. The evening was getting late; I was concerned about taking too much of their time with my 'stuff' ('stuff' I didn't even understand or WANT to divulge to anybody), and they were, all of a sudden, acting like 'macho-men'-pinning me down. These sweet, gentle girlfriends became stern and firm! I broke before them, and as they questioned me about my 'stuff', I began to just let it all roll out. Feelings, questions, confusion-me, me, me-the good, the bad, and the very, very ugly!
But they wanted to hear it all; they wanted to rid me of the sleeping giants inside of me-for good. No more hiding-spill it and slay it! After I cried and shared and cried some more-lots more, Tammy began to approach me, praying as she came. Then Beth put one arm around me and held my hand in hers. Then I felt the warmth of Peg and Dee Ann and Missy. From behind me Lisa began to massage my aching neck (she didn't even know it was aching!). The prayers of others continued-all on my behalf. How humbling is that? I have always known that these women love me; but now I felt as if THEY were desperate for me to REALLY believe it. They were desperate for me to EMBRACE not only their love, but the love of Papa God as well. (Thank you, dear Jocelyn, for teaching me the importance of 'embracing' something rather that merely 'appreciating' it!)
God showed up-and showed OFF-big time-for me. And how humbling is that?! I knew that He would-in His time and in His way. This was just so unexpected-and so necessary. There is so much more I could share about this precious time together-and about the awesome ways God continued to speak to me into the wee hours of the morning. I will say that God had been putting these pieces together for a long time. I can look back and see Him ever so clearly now. He was just waiting for me to receive what He was eager to give-all of Himself to all of me.
I told my sweet, gentle, stern, firm, and beautiful girlfriends to try to picture this: what happened to me began with God at His Throne of Grace, then tumbled through the lips of Tammy, and was poured on me like healing anointing oil by the rest of the ladies. I need them so much and am so thankful for my circle of friends. Lord, please help me to NEVER hide like I had-ever again. Should I choose to hide, may it only be in a child's game of "Hide and Seek". Are you 'hiding'? Please, please-come out, come out wherever you are. Call us-write to us. We are desperate for you to be 'found', dear friend.
Healing is fractional - it comes bit by bit, not all at once, unless God works a miracle. But don't look at the slow healing time as less of a miracle. If in that time we allow God to do a work in us, the miracle turns out to be even greater than an instant healing!
If God heals instantaneously, everything returns to the way it was, as if it never happened, but if we take the more painful journey of a step by step walk we have many hours of intimate moments with our loving Father.
That time is always available to us, but in our busy lifestyles when do we slow down enough to enjoy Him? I can picture a loving Father, seated by the bed of His child. The child is hurting, wounded, limited to the small chamber of emotional, physical, or spiritual healing, a 'soul hospital' if you will. Nowhere to go, nothing but time on his hands, the child is incapacitated in a way that is totally foreign to him.
Have you ever seen a sick child in a hospital crib? Some of these cribs look more like cages then beds, but they are necessary for that child's safety, so he may heal without harming himself further. I have seen parents all but stand on their head to keep a sick child still so that healing can take place. It is not a pain-free process - procedures, needles, tests - sometimes it seems to get worse in order to get better.
Sometimes we have to do our own diagnostic tests to see where the healing must begin. Painful? At times. But always with the goal of health, and always, always with our heavenly Father right by our bedside.
It is not that He isn't always there - It is usually that we ignore Him, simply too distracted to notice or take time with Him. We're so focused inwardly on our pain that we forget He's there! Hosea 13:5, 6 puts it this way, "I knew you in the wilderness, in the land of great drought. When they had pasture, they were filled. They were filled and their heart was exalted; therefore they forgot Me."
The sweetness we miss! The long hours of discourse - the laughter over private jokes, the comfort of His tender hand stroking our foreheads and reassuring us it will be all right.
I hate being sick, having to heal, going through the pokes and prods of soul diagnosis. But I love this time with You, Lord. I love curling up on Your lap, Abba Father, and having You rock me, knowing that in the security of Your arms, everything is going to turn out fine. No matter what happens.
I would just like to take this opportunity to announce to the world that I have the cutest niece. Ever.
I got to spend a week with this adorable little thing and my heart is stolen. Gone. Don't bother to call the cops, they will have no luck in getting it back. I'm not sure I would take it back. She can keep it. She can have whatever of mine she wants.
She can even keep my shoes that she loves so much.
This child is brilliant. Just shy of eighteen months, and she is learning colors! Colors!!! I remember having color signs hung up in my first grade classroom to help us out when we got stuck. And this kid already knows green, red, blue and purple?? She is on the pathway to great invention and discovery, I tell you. The Albert Einstein of her generation. And, she knows what every animal alive says! (Okay, so we stumped her on zebra and giraffe)
You can teach her anything.and I mean anything. She is sponge. And believe you me, as her favorite aunt (okay, so maybe not - I've got tough competition with there being 5 others!!) I have no problem taking advantage of that little brain that soaks up everything. With those adorable little curls, somebody had to teach her about the fro, right?
Dear God, In school they told us what you do. Who does it when you are on vacation? ~Jane
Dear God, Are you really invisible, or is that just a trick? ~Lucy
Dear God, Did you mean for the giraffe to look like that or was it an accident? ~Norma
Dear God, I do not think anybody could be a better God. Well, I just want you to know but I am not just saying that because you are God already. ~Charles
I love kids' honesty. They just tell what they see, ask what they're thinking. Believe me, I know this can lead to embarrassing and difficult situations - but after years of admonishing my children what is 'right and proper' to say and do - I am to the point of wishing I were more like they were as children!
Jesus called a little child to him and stood the child before his followers. Then he said, "I tell you the truth, you must change and become like little children. Otherwise, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. The greatest person in the kingdom of heaven is the one who makes himself humble like this child. Whoever accepts a child in my name accepts me." Mt. 18:2-5 NCV
Aren't you glad we can talk to God about anything?
December 1, 2009.how did this happen? Where did January, February, March, and the rest of the months get to? As I have said before, if time flies when you're having fun we must be having a blast!
December is a month full of activity and preparation at our house. Secrets are already being kept, lots of list making has taken place, the advent calendar has been hung and Christmas songs are being sung.
Eight-year-old Clay is in the school Christmas play; we have heard ALL the songs AND every speaking part (his and everyone else's) again and again. To say he is into this play would be a huge understatement.
December is also a month that basketball gets plenty of space on our calendar. Oldest daughter Leah is a first-year coach for eighth grade girls in the district she teaches in, first game is Thursday night! College daughter Krista is in her senior year of playing basketball, her season started two weeks ago. Sixteen-year-old Emily's high school season starts tomorrow, and 6th grader Megan has been playing on Saturdays since the last week of October.
I did the math: four daughters on four teams equal 74 games between October 31 and February 20. (All I want for Christmas is a seat cushion!)
Clay has been to more girls' basketball games than any little boy I know. The year he was born Leah was in her second year of high school ball and Krista played on the 8th grade team. He was born in January so his first outings were to church and basketball games.
He's decided to play soccer.
And he'd like guitar lessons too, please.
Anything but basketball for this little brother, I keep telling him what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. He is pretty sure he's going to be one strong young man.
And while all this basketball makes him a little crazy he still loves his big sisters.
