Christmas Eve

It is Christmas Eve.

I am by myself, but I am not alone.

God is here.

And I drink in His presence
...and His love
...and His peace.

Tomorrow, I will celebrate with people.

Tonight, I celebrate with Him.




"For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." Luke 2:11


Merry Christmas!

May you feel His presence, His love, and His peace now and all through the year.


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The Game

My student stood at the front of the room during Show and Tell last year and talked about a game she had received for Christmas.

"...And it says, 'What does God want for Christmas?'. Then you look in this box that has a mirror in it and you see yourself because God wants you for Christmas."

When she had finished talking about the game, a student raised his hand and, with a hint of laughter in his voice, asked, "God wants me for Christmas?"

I readied myself, thinking I would need to step in and do a little explaining, but I needn't have worried; my student knew exactly what to say.

She hesitated for only a moment and then, with a wave of her arm to include everyone, she enthusiastically said, "God wants ALL of us for Christmas!"

I smiled at her perfect answer.


God does want all of my students for Christmas.

He wants you for Christmas, too. And for every other day as well.

You have only to come to Him. He won't turn you away. He loves you.


This Christmas season, give yourself to Him.



(And the next time you look in a mirror, remember how very much you are loved and wanted by God!)


"For God so loved that world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16


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Just for Fun

Somewhere, alone, in the dark of an early morning, she wrote...not from scratch...and not even words intended to be written, but write she did...maybe not even well, but definitely memories from the heart. Here it is...snippets of the present and past mixed together...for those who wish to peek inside my life....

...to the tune of My Favorite Things...

A lovely sunset and stars in the night sky
Contagious laughter and a small town fish fry
Knowing a friend's on the phone as it rings
These are a few of my favorite things

Happy exclaims when with others you're jokin'
Warm, loving hugs; memories of words spoken
Walking in snow with my dog evenings
These are a few of my favorite things

When there's too much
Work to do and
I'm in need of rest
I simply remember my favorite things
And then I don't feel...so stressed

Colorful trees that I see in the autumn
Crunching leaves underfoot when I walk on 'em
The peacefulness a new fallen snow brings
These are a few of my favorite things

Times with my family we spent all together
Laughter and smiles, all things that I treasure
Driving on trips; how I feel when I sing
These are a few of my favorite things

Sparkling eyes and emotions unhidden
Words sent to me that were lovingly written
God in my life and the joy that He brings
These are a few of my favorite things

When there's too much
Work to do and
I am feeling stressed
I simply remember my favorite things
Cause they make me feel...so blessed!!!!


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The Blind Side

When I tuned into The View this morning, I expected to be entertained...to laugh, to listen to the banter about the topics of the day, and to hear a couple of interviews.

I got so much more.

Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw, and Quinton Aaron were on today. They were being interviewed about their new film, The Blind Side. The movie is based on the Tuohy family who takes in a young man who is in need. They care for him, love him, and make him a part of their family.

Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy saw a need they could meet and they met it. They didn't expect to have a movie made about what they did. They weren't looking for accolades. They simply showed God's love to another human being in need because it was the right thing to do.

I listened to an interview Leigh Anne did. She said of her family, "We've been blessed and we really live by 'To whom much is given, much is required'."

Oh, that we would all live our lives open and large, loving and compassionate....giving out of the abundance we've been given.

As I listened to an interview online with Sandra Bullock, the interviewer said of the Tuohys and their generosity, "How many of these types of people are really living in the world?" Well, my answer is, "All the Christians should be living that way."


I should be living that way.


I was so much more than entertained when I tuned into The View. God used it as a reminder to me to be about His business....to love, to give, to look for ways to make a difference in the lives of those whose paths cross mine today...and every day.

The Blind Side opens wide on November 20. I haven't seen the film yet, but I'm inspired already.


"From everyone who has been given much, much will be required...." Luke 12:48

"This I command you, that you love one another." John 15:17



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Thankful

I am thankful.

I am thankful for God--who blesses me is so many ways--none of which I deserve. I am thankful for friends who laugh with me and help me through hard times. I am thankful for worshiping openly without fear of persecution. ...Thankful that I don't lack food or shelter. I'm thankful that my arm is healing--it's taken time--but it is healing. I'm thankful for people who believe in me when I'm too hurt and worn down to believe in myself. I'm thankful that I grew up in a wonderful family. I'm thankful for the beauty that God created on earth. I'm thankful for seeing people raise their hands in worship to God. I'm thankful that God loves me and I get to go to heaven when I die. I am thankful that God used someone I didn't even know to heal a place inside me that had not been alive for a long time. I'm thankful that I've now had a chance to talk to that person several times. I am thankful that God is with me every second of every day and that He will never leave me. I'm thankful that God allowed me to be alive. I'm thankful that has He saved me from death and walked with me through difficult things. I'm thankful for the beauty of the autumn trees and the pure white sparkling diamonds of a new fallen snow. I'm thankful that my eyes see and my ears hear....that I can taste and touch and smell. I'm thankful for the gifts of talent that people share with others. I'm thankful that God places people and circumstances around me that bless me.

I'm thankful that God is.


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Home

As I turned the car, the moon came into view. A full moon....large, glowing...almost the color of a harvest moon. In its light, I could see the outline of mountains to the left of the busy freeway.

But in my mind, I was on a country road looking across moonlit corn fields...

...Home.

Home. What a comforting word. The place you're always accepted and always welcomed, even when you haven't lived there for years. The place you can laugh and talk or just sit quietly with no words exchanged at all because you know each other so well the silence is comfortable...no need to fill every second with conversation.

At some point in our lives, it may be impossible to go home. But God has equipped us with feelings and memories. Home can be forever in our hearts whether we can go there physically or not.

And that is where I was the other night as I looked at the full moon, thousands of miles away from where I grew up. I took a trip home. Remembered all the faces of loved ones who now wait for me in heaven. Thought of the beauty of flat lands and corn fields against the night sky. Heard the laughter of days gone by.

It made me smile...

remembering...

Home.


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Tomorrow

Things will be different tomorrow.

Someone will be gone--someone who, honestly, has driven me a little crazy at times--but someone who God has helped me have patience with and love. This person was just starting to make some good choices and really try.

I could see a change beginning to take place...

A life ripe with promise.


And now...

And now, I no longer have the opportunity to make a difference in his life.
The privilege of helping to mold the person he will become now falls to someone else.



And I have to admit...

That makes me sad.


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Kate

Silently the battle wages.
And we wait.
We wait; praying for recovery from the
Effects of the medication which is trying to
Take away the dreaded tumor-
The hindrance to a normal life.
Please, God, we ask...we beg
You to heal miraculously the tumor
That invades this child's brain.
And if not miraculously, then please bring
healing by the medications given
By those who fight the fight.
Be strong, God.
Be big.
And bring forth the answer we pray for this day.
In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Please pray for little Kate who fights bravely the battle that is before her.

Http://PrayforKate.com

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Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson died today.

And I am sad.

When I heard the report that he had been taken to the hospital, I prayed for him...for his healing and that he would know God if he didn't already know him. A short time later, I learned that he had passed away.

The King of Pop, gone.

My heart hurt.

I watched TV...saw the fans gather...heard the statements of those who knew and worked with him...listened as people spoke of how Michael had inspired them in one way or another.

I know Michael has had some difficult times. I haven't always agreed with some of his life choices...but neither am I perfect; I'm sure that God hasn't always been happy with the choices I have made. Jesus said, "...let those who have never sinned throw the first stones."

My hands are empty.



As I listened to the tributes pouring in, I couldn't help but wonder if he knew...

...in his latter days, did he know that people thought he was a genius in the music world? Did he know that his peers respected him and his work? Did he know that he had inspired many? Did he know how much people still enjoyed his music? Did he know so many loved and cared for him?

Or did he live and die behind the gates of his home without knowing the tender thoughts others had of him?


I hope he knew.



Is there anyone you need to talk to today? Anyone you need to let know that you think they are special...that they have touched your life in some wonderful way? Anyone you need to say "Good job" or "I love you" to?

We don't know how long we and our loved ones have on earth. Give your flowers today. Encourage, embrace, compliment, and show your love now.

You have the power to brighten someone's life by the things you say and do.

Reach out and bless someone today.


"Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up."
Proverbs 12:25

"So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing."
1 Th. 5:11

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Always There

I'm so glad that God is always there for us. He's been there for me through many things but most recently through pain (broken bone = ouch!), uncertain economy (know many who will be without jobs in a month and that makes me sad), and feeling like I failed at...(personal, but God knows!) He's there through everything and that is so comforting to me!

He'll be there for you, too, if you ask Him to be!

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9

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Natasha Richardson

Three thousand miles away there is a family grieving--hurting--in pain. Two young boys struggle to make sense out of what, at first, seemed to be a simple fall that claimed their mother's life. A husband wonders how he will go on without his beloved wife. A mother plays the memories of times spent with her daughter over and over again in her mind and is numb inside realizing they will never share new memories or mother/daughter kisses again. A sister aches inside to think she will no longer be able to confide in or laugh with her sister.

Father,
Comfort the family members who grieve as well as all those who know and love Natasha. Let Your strength and power sustain them through the incredibly difficult days ahead. Let them feel Your love and Your presence....and let them also feel the love and prayers of those, both near and far, who seek to comfort them. Touch each one with the hope of heaven though their hearts are now so heavy.

As humans, we don't always know why things happen as they do, but we know that You love us and are able to bring us through even the most devastating of circumstances.

In the midst of their deep pain, please bring peace and comfort to all of her family members and friends...

...And may the memory of the love she had for each one always live inside of them and warm their hearts forever.

In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.



As you're reading this, maybe you're going through a difficult time, too. Please know that God is able to work in any circumstance you face when you reach for Him. We don't always understand everything that happens, but God is able to help us through all the difficult and devastating times that come our way.

If you're hurting, call on Him now.

He loves you so very much.



"Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you."
1 Pet. 5:7

"....I have loved you with an everlasting love..."
Jer. 31:3

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Yet Will I Praise Him

"Yet will I praise Him," I thought as I walked north toward the mountains.

I suppose, to some, it would seem a strange thing to think as I walked to find a pay phone so I could call Triple A to come tow my car away. My car had died at an intersection and when I returned, a tire was also flat.

"Yet will I praise Him."

That was a summer I needed that verse a lot. I didn't have much money so car repairs were not really in my budget. My car was towed to a friend's house so her relative could work on it for me to try to keep the repairs costs to a minimum. While it was parked there, it was towed away and I had to pay a fine because she forgot to move it from a no parking zone during street cleaning while I was away on vacation.

"Yet will I praise Him."

A short time later the tags were stolen off of my car and I had to get new ones.




And it was also the summer I found out my mother had cancer.


"Yet will I praise Him."




God knew I would need that verse and He put it in my mind at the exact time I needed it. Life can be hard sometimes. We don't always understand why certain things happen.

Today there are concerns about money....jobs....the economy. People are divorced from spouses they once loved....friends hurt us at times....illness comes to those we know and care for deeply,.

But through it all, God is there. Comforting us. Loving us. Never losing sight of us though at times we may feel alone. The Bible says that Jesus is at the right hand of the Father interceding for us. Be encouraged--Jesus is praying for you.

Take heart. You are loved. Deeply and unconditionally.

And whether now is a time of little or plenty--of joy or of heartache--God is with you.


"Though the fig tree may not blossom,
Nor fruit be on the vines;
Though the labor of the olive may fail,
And the fields yield no food;
Though the flock be cut off from the fold,
And there be no herd in the stalls--
Yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will joy in the God of my salvation.
The Lord God is my strength;
He will make my feet like deer's feet.
And He will make me walk on my high hills."
Hab. 3:17-19


"Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God,
For I shall yet praise Him,
The help of my countenance and my God."
Ps. 42:11

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