Prayer Request

Today is a great day!! My two older boys are flying in to be with us for a week. Honestly, this is the only present I truly want. We are looking forward to a week of nothing but fun, food, and games.

However, they are also flying and changing planes by themselves with a lay over in Chicago. PLEASE pray for a safe trip, no delays, and excellent weather.

Enjoy all your leftovers today!

Merry Christmas!!!

Today we celebrate the birth of God's proven grace and love: The birth of Jesus the Christ!

Thank you Father for caring enough to go through all this for us. Thank you for all the intimate plans and details You created to point us to the birth of Jesus before He was ever born. You, who laid the foundation of the earth as the morning stars sang (Job 38:6-7), also laid the foundation of salvation in our hearts through the Words you gave the prophets. 


Thank you Jesus for your love and willingness to suffer as one of us for our own sake amidst scorn and contempt. You showed us not only the Truth, but how to love one another; for we were child-like and clueless! You came in the most humble of circumstances to show us how to have little, though You are so very much (Philippians 4:12-13). 


Thank you Spirit for showing us how to have confident power in all humility. You, who are so close to us, have guided me so lovingly - even knowing who I am. You give me the words the Father has to encourage, strengthen, chastise, and confirm me.


Praise to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit on the celebration of the birth of our hope in salvation!!!

That's What We Get

I think the blatant black hole of over commercialization and mad pre-Christmas rush, is a little bit of God's way to get back at us for making it that way.

Tis' the season to learn patience,
Fa-la-la-la-la, La-la-la-la!

Come To Bethlehem And See...

Have you come to Bethlehem?

The deeper meaning of this question has been plaguing me for several days now. Christ came into the world at Bethlehem, but it wasn't just the city- or hamlet. Christ came to us first in the cave of some beasts of burden. Stinking, dumb animals. It was not sanitary. It wasn't even very acceptable back then. So, why did He come there?

Because we need to come to Him first in our stinking, dumb, unsanitary/unworthy, dark humanity. When we come to Him in this manner - acknowledging who we really are - He makes the seemingly impossible possible. Then we can live victoriously through Him. But not until then. Then, in our newborn state, He is our King! He became a newborn so that we could become a newborn again.

Come adore on bended knee, Christ the Lord the newborn King!
Gloria!!!

Slacking

I'll be very honest with you all- I'm slacking. Bad. 

Yes, I've read my Bible when looking up something; and yes, the Lord has been speaking to me and blessing me. But I haven't taken the time much in the last few days to really listen to God, and to really read my Bible, so I'm not going to pretend like I have. Don't worry- I feel awful about it.

These are the times when it does not seem like the most wonderful time of the year. I get so busy with the Christmas season that I spend less time with the reason for the season. Part of me has come to realize that I am a creature of schedules. When I'm thrown off my schedule for too long, I let things go - like reading my Bible - too easily. But that's no excuse, really.

Thank you Lord for Zechariah 1:3!

"So tell the people: This is what the LORD of Hosts says: Return to Me" - this is the declaration of the LORD of Hosts - "and I will return to you, says the LORD of Hosts."

Here I Am To Worship

You know what? 

Yesterday was a really good day of worship. 

Fellowshipping

Singing

Preaching

Serving

Greeting: AM & PM (Yea, God tested me out quick. Remember that one?)

How did you worship?

*Hint- It's not just where you go, or what you say to God, but how you honor Him.

Just Not What I Thought

Yesterday my youngest children watched Old Yeller for the first time, and I was a little apprehensive because Lauren is an animal lover, and Elijah can be very sensitive at times. As a child I remember being devastated when they had to shoot poor Old Yeller -and after he saved them! I almost didn't let them see it because of the aftermath of questions and nightmares I was sure would follow. Yet it didn't quite turn out that way. Instead, about an hour after the movie, there was quite the commotion coming out of the living room: They were pretending they were rabid animals and were attacking each other.

Wasn't I acting like we do sometimes when it comes to sharing the Gospel? We are just so sure we will be turned down, made fun of, and rejected, that we talk ourselves out of telling everyone around us about the Truth. We don't need to concern ourselves about those things because first, it may turn out that the rejection is all in our heads like the kids pity for the dog was in mine. Second, and most important to remember, is that it doesn't matter if we are turned away. They are not rejecting us, but God, as1 Thessalonians 4:8 says: Therefore, the person who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who also gives you His Holy Spirit. In fact, they are not really listening to us at all! Luke 10:16 Whoever listens to you listens to Me. Whoever rejects you rejects Me. And whoever rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me.

Why do we fret so over what the Lord has under control? Our job is just to tell (Acts 1:8) and the rest is up to Him. (1 Corinthians 2:10)