I did choose 0NE word for 2012 back in January. I wasn't all official and part of the community, though. In fact, I really didn't even know there was one.
My word for 2012 was "gentleness."
I chose gentleness because it was something I wanted to be. Something I wanted to become.
Was I successful? I think I've made progress. I am definitely more thoughtful before I speak or act. I consider how my words or actions will affect others. I try to keep my temper reigned in.
You have been reading my posts over the course of the year. Maybe you can tell me. Have you seen a gentling?
Showing posts with label Inspiration. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Inspiration. Show all posts
December 29, 2012
January 12, 2012
For a Friend *
"Train a child
in the way he should go,
and when he is old
he will not turn from it."
~ Proverbs 22:6
"Oh, really???" I've wanted to yell out in a snarky tone more than once over the last couple of years. You couldn't prove this by me. My children were raised in the church. God, prayer, Bible study, fellowship, and all the rest were a way of life. Both were baptized by their own decision. Their father was a church elder. Their mother was a deaconess, Sunday School teacher, youth leader, Bible Quizzing coach, and more over the years. Their home overflowed with Christian friends and activities. Now, I will admit all that came to a crashing end when the church we were attending pretty much imploded due to "politics" and we, as leaders, ended up among the casualties, but while the lifestyle may have dried up and gone away for a season, the love of the Lord never did.
Still, I have witnessed my children making decisions in their lives that I never thought I'd see. Decisions that break a mother's heart. Repeatedly. I'm not going to get into the whats and hows of what they've done in their lives, their stories are theirs to tell. It's enough for you to know that my son, who once believed he was called to ministry, is married to a non-believer, lives a secular life, and won't say what his beliefs are. Or aren't. My daughter, says she believes in God "and all that," but hates church and wants nothing to do with Christians in general because they are nothing but hypocrites. She may still believe, but her life choices reflect no signs of knowing Jesus.
As a mother, I want to rage and scream at God about the unfairness. "I trained my children the way you said I should. Why have they turned? You said they wouldn't! What's wrong with them? Don't you love them? Aren't they good enough for you? Don't my prayers matter to you?" I don't, but it's in my heart sometimes, and we all know that if it's in my heart God sees it just the same as if I did it.
And that is when God starts talking to me....
God: Daughter, why are you angry at me?
Me: Because I want my children to know you, to walk with you, to enjoy your blessings.
God: I want that, too.
Me: Then why have you let them turn away? Why don't you answer my prayers to bring them back to you?
God: Remember that bit about free will? I don't make anyone love me. I could, but I won't.
Me: But....
God: Did you grow up going to church?
Me: Yes, but it was different. I don't remember being taught any of the stuff they learned. I never chose to be baptized.
God: Still, you knew about me, didn't you?
Me: Yes.
God: Did you continue walking with me, no matter how shallow the relationship was? Or did you abandon me to search for something you were sure would be better?
Me: I turned my back on you. I did a lot of things I'm not proud of.
God: Yes, you did. And for the record, I hated those things you did, too. They broke my heart.
Me: I'm so sorry.
God: I know you are, but it took you a while to get to that point didn't it? How old were you when you decided you needed to get to know my son and live a life that reflected that relationship?
Me: I'd always heard about your son, knew he was there, but didn't know I could have a relationship with him until I was 23. I was 28 when I felt you calling me to go to church. The urge was so strong....
God: And what happened after you surrendered to that "urging"?
Me: My life changed so much I don't even know where to begin to tell about it. It was like an explosion in my heart and soul. I learned so much. I grew so much as a believer. My life was blessed beyond anything I could have ever imagined.
God: Now, tell me...how old are your kids?
Me: 25 and 19.
God: And how old were you when you became my daughter?
Me: Oh....
God: Be patient. I know it's hard. I want more than anything to be able to hold your children's hands and walk with them, but they have to be ready. They still have lessons to learn. Trust me when I say that I haven't forgotten them. They are always on my mind. I know even the number of hairs on their heads. I know their hearts....just as I know yours.
Me: But I've prayed so hard and I know you can and do work miracles. You can work all things to your purposes. Why not this?
God: I hear your prayers, but I have to ask you, while we're being honest here....You pray, but have you ever really given up the control? Can you truly say that you've put your children in my hands or are you still trying to manage things?
Me: Oh... I haven't done that have I? I've prayed, but I've still tried to work things out on my own. I've been....faithless. I'm so sorry. Help me to let go.
God: I'd love to now that you've asked. Put your children in my hands and let go. Give them to me. In the meantime, keep loving them and offering them your wisdom and by all means, KEEP PRAYING. Just remember...no condemnation, no nagging, no guilt-trips....only love. My love. There is always hope when you trust in me.
**I shared this today because of a friend who is going through a heartbreaking time. I hope this offers some comfort and peace.**
December 23, 2011
12 pearls of Christmas: Inside Out Christmas
Welcome to the 12 Pearls of Christmas!
Enjoy these Christmas "Pearls of Wisdom" from some of today's most beloved writer's (Tricia Goyer, Suzanne Woods Fisher, Shellie Rushing Tomlinson, Sibella Giorello and more)! Please follow the series through Christmas day as each contributor shares heartfelt stories of how God has touched a life during this most wonderful time of the year.
AND just for fun ... there's also a giveaway! Fill out this simple {form} and enter for a chance to win a beautiful pearl necklace and earring set ($450 value). Contest runs 12/14 - 12/25 and the winner will on 1/1. Contest is only open to US and Canadian residents. You may enter once per day.
If you are unfamiliar with Pearl Girls™, please visit www.pearlgirls.info and see what we're all about. In short, we exist to support the work of charities that help women and children in the US and around the globe. Consider purchasing a copy of Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace or one of the Pearl Girls products (all GREAT gifts!) to help support Pearl Girls.
Inside Out Christmas
by Debora M. Coty
My veterinarian friend, Dr. Katie, tells the story about the December when a woman brought a very sick black lab into her clinic. The dog was only ten months old, so she was really just a big puppy, but she’d been vomiting incessantly and her worried owner didn’t know what was wrong.
“Why don’t you go on home?” Dr. Katie told the owner. “I’ll need to run tests for about four hours. We’ll give you a call when we’re finished.”
Dr. Katie’s assistant took x-rays and hung them on the light panel for Dr. Katie to examine. Hmm. Something looked a little peculiar. Dr. Katie called her assistant over.
“Is it just me, or does that look like a … a camel to you?” she asked incredulously.
“Matter of fact, it does,” replied the astute assistant. “And look, there’s an angel here, a shepherd there, and down there in the colon, it’s Baby Jesus!”
At that moment the phone rang. It was the dog’s distraught owner. “I can’t believe this! I just got home and glanced at the coffee table where I put my manger scene yesterday. There’s nothing there but an empty stable!”
As I thought about this quite literal technique for internalizing the true meaning of Christmas, it occurred to me that sometimes I have the opposite problem. With all the bustling busyness, my inner joy in celebration of my savior’s birth never really makes it to the outside.
Oh, I have plenty of glittery, festive evidences of the holiday in decorations, baking galore, and gifts under my tree. But those things are for show. They’re merely the pretty wrappings, not the gift itself.
Can people really see the core-deep joy that radiates within me when I think of the true gift that Papa God sent the world in his son, Jesus? Is my immeasurable gratitude for eternal life evident as I dash through this hectic season?
I’m afraid all too often, the answer is no.
I’m just too preoccupied to allow my outside to reflect my inside so that nonbelievers recognize that I rejoice because of the hope that is within me. My joy is obscured by the mounds of clutter. Gratefulness is sucked out of my soul by the vacuum called urgency.
“But let the godly rejoice. Let them be glad in God’s presence. Let them be filled with joy” (Psalm 68:3, NLT).
This verse has become my prayer this Christmas season – that I would make the time to give priority to rejoicing, being glad in God’s presence, and letting my inner joy show for those who may be silently desperate to know the giver of true joy.
Yep, there’s a better way to internalize the gift of Christmas than the black lab technique. We can lodge the Little Lord Jesus in our hearts rather than our colons.
Enjoy these Christmas "Pearls of Wisdom" from some of today's most beloved writer's (Tricia Goyer, Suzanne Woods Fisher, Shellie Rushing Tomlinson, Sibella Giorello and more)! Please follow the series through Christmas day as each contributor shares heartfelt stories of how God has touched a life during this most wonderful time of the year.
AND just for fun ... there's also a giveaway! Fill out this simple {form} and enter for a chance to win a beautiful pearl necklace and earring set ($450 value). Contest runs 12/14 - 12/25 and the winner will on 1/1. Contest is only open to US and Canadian residents. You may enter once per day.
If you are unfamiliar with Pearl Girls™, please visit www.pearlgirls.info and see what we're all about. In short, we exist to support the work of charities that help women and children in the US and around the globe. Consider purchasing a copy of Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace or one of the Pearl Girls products (all GREAT gifts!) to help support Pearl Girls.
***
Inside Out Christmas
by Debora M. Coty
My veterinarian friend, Dr. Katie, tells the story about the December when a woman brought a very sick black lab into her clinic. The dog was only ten months old, so she was really just a big puppy, but she’d been vomiting incessantly and her worried owner didn’t know what was wrong.
“Why don’t you go on home?” Dr. Katie told the owner. “I’ll need to run tests for about four hours. We’ll give you a call when we’re finished.”
Dr. Katie’s assistant took x-rays and hung them on the light panel for Dr. Katie to examine. Hmm. Something looked a little peculiar. Dr. Katie called her assistant over.
“Is it just me, or does that look like a … a camel to you?” she asked incredulously.
“Matter of fact, it does,” replied the astute assistant. “And look, there’s an angel here, a shepherd there, and down there in the colon, it’s Baby Jesus!”
At that moment the phone rang. It was the dog’s distraught owner. “I can’t believe this! I just got home and glanced at the coffee table where I put my manger scene yesterday. There’s nothing there but an empty stable!”
As I thought about this quite literal technique for internalizing the true meaning of Christmas, it occurred to me that sometimes I have the opposite problem. With all the bustling busyness, my inner joy in celebration of my savior’s birth never really makes it to the outside.
Oh, I have plenty of glittery, festive evidences of the holiday in decorations, baking galore, and gifts under my tree. But those things are for show. They’re merely the pretty wrappings, not the gift itself.
Can people really see the core-deep joy that radiates within me when I think of the true gift that Papa God sent the world in his son, Jesus? Is my immeasurable gratitude for eternal life evident as I dash through this hectic season?
I’m afraid all too often, the answer is no.
I’m just too preoccupied to allow my outside to reflect my inside so that nonbelievers recognize that I rejoice because of the hope that is within me. My joy is obscured by the mounds of clutter. Gratefulness is sucked out of my soul by the vacuum called urgency.
“But let the godly rejoice. Let them be glad in God’s presence. Let them be filled with joy” (Psalm 68:3, NLT).
This verse has become my prayer this Christmas season – that I would make the time to give priority to rejoicing, being glad in God’s presence, and letting my inner joy show for those who may be silently desperate to know the giver of true joy.
Yep, there’s a better way to internalize the gift of Christmas than the black lab technique. We can lodge the Little Lord Jesus in our hearts rather than our colons.
***
Debora M. Coty is a humorist, inspirational speaker, and award-winning author of twelve books, including Too Blessed to be Stressed, and coming in March, More Beauty, Less Beast: Transforming Your Inner Ogre. Debora would love to swap Christmas hugs with you at www.DeboraCoty.com. December 22, 2011
12 Pearls of Christmas: Simple or Sparkle?
Welcome to the 12 Pearls of Christmas!
Enjoy these Christmas "Pearls of Wisdom" from some of today's most beloved writer's (Tricia Goyer, Suzanne Woods Fisher, Shellie Rushing Tomlinson, Sibella Giorello and more)! Please follow the series through Christmas day as each contributor shares heartfelt stories of how God has touched a life during this most wonderful time of the year.
AND just for fun ... there's also a giveaway! Fill out this simple {form} and enter for a chance to win a beautiful pearl necklace and earring set ($450 value). Contest runs 12/14 - 12/25 and the winner will on 1/1. Contest is only open to US and Canadian residents. You may enter once per day.
If you are unfamiliar with Pearl Girls™, please visit www.pearlgirls.info and see what we're all about. In short, we exist to support the work of charities that help women and children in the US and around the globe. Consider purchasing a copy of Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace or one of the Pearl Girls products (all GREAT gifts!) to help support Pearl Girls.
Simple or Sparkle?
by Tracey Eyster
It’s a simple ornament made of thin cheap metal and it looks quite out of place on our CHRISTmas tree. But each year I lovingly and safely nestle it amongst its expensive and sparkly peers, without a care as to how unglamorous it appears.
Many of our CHRISTmas ornaments have a story and an uncanny way of welling up emotion in me, but this certain one causes an intense stir.
You see the ornament is engraved with the name of my grandmother, Sara, and was given to me by my mother, who ordered it from Hospice, after Grandmama’s death. Yes, the months leading up to her death carry memories of a frail and failing grandmama, but that ornament carries my thoughts to sweet CHRISTmas memories of the past.
CHRISTmas Eve dinners in her home, laughing, singing, gathering and celebrating a year filled with blessings as we remembered the birth of our Savior. CHRISTmas mornings, she was always there participating with glee, in our raucous CHRISTmas happiness. Her gifts were always bank envelopes gently tucked into the pine needles of our CHRISTmas tree, fresh cut from the property she grew up on.
All memories of my Grandmama make my heart swell. You see she was my Jesus with skin on. She lived her life full of joy, serving others and approached life selflessly with an attitude of, “What can I do for you?”
Just months before she left us, even as the Alzheimer’s was robbing her mind she shared her love of Jesus with a sweet little old lady friend, who came to know the Lord – a divine appointment. The very next day that little old lady silently slipped away to meet in person the One Sara introduced her to just the day before.
At the time I wept, realizing that regardless of our own frailties and failings, God can still use those of us who are willing to do His work and are well practiced at hearing His voice...no matter our lack of sparkle in comparison to others.
A simple life lived for Him, a simple ornament in memory of Sara...a simple truth for you to ponder.
Tracey Eyster wife, mom, relationship gatherer and Creator/Editor of FamilyLife’s MomLife Today is a media savvy mom making a difference where moms are, on-line. Through speaking, writing and video interviews Tracey is passionate about encouraging, equipping and advising moms on every facet of momlife. Her first book, Be The Mom will be released August 2012. You can connect with Tracey at www.momlifetoday.com, her personal site www.traceyster.com or www.twitter/momblog.com.
Enjoy these Christmas "Pearls of Wisdom" from some of today's most beloved writer's (Tricia Goyer, Suzanne Woods Fisher, Shellie Rushing Tomlinson, Sibella Giorello and more)! Please follow the series through Christmas day as each contributor shares heartfelt stories of how God has touched a life during this most wonderful time of the year.
AND just for fun ... there's also a giveaway! Fill out this simple {form} and enter for a chance to win a beautiful pearl necklace and earring set ($450 value). Contest runs 12/14 - 12/25 and the winner will on 1/1. Contest is only open to US and Canadian residents. You may enter once per day.
If you are unfamiliar with Pearl Girls™, please visit www.pearlgirls.info and see what we're all about. In short, we exist to support the work of charities that help women and children in the US and around the globe. Consider purchasing a copy of Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace or one of the Pearl Girls products (all GREAT gifts!) to help support Pearl Girls.
***
Simple or Sparkle?
by Tracey Eyster
It’s a simple ornament made of thin cheap metal and it looks quite out of place on our CHRISTmas tree. But each year I lovingly and safely nestle it amongst its expensive and sparkly peers, without a care as to how unglamorous it appears.
Many of our CHRISTmas ornaments have a story and an uncanny way of welling up emotion in me, but this certain one causes an intense stir.
You see the ornament is engraved with the name of my grandmother, Sara, and was given to me by my mother, who ordered it from Hospice, after Grandmama’s death. Yes, the months leading up to her death carry memories of a frail and failing grandmama, but that ornament carries my thoughts to sweet CHRISTmas memories of the past.
CHRISTmas Eve dinners in her home, laughing, singing, gathering and celebrating a year filled with blessings as we remembered the birth of our Savior. CHRISTmas mornings, she was always there participating with glee, in our raucous CHRISTmas happiness. Her gifts were always bank envelopes gently tucked into the pine needles of our CHRISTmas tree, fresh cut from the property she grew up on.
All memories of my Grandmama make my heart swell. You see she was my Jesus with skin on. She lived her life full of joy, serving others and approached life selflessly with an attitude of, “What can I do for you?”
Just months before she left us, even as the Alzheimer’s was robbing her mind she shared her love of Jesus with a sweet little old lady friend, who came to know the Lord – a divine appointment. The very next day that little old lady silently slipped away to meet in person the One Sara introduced her to just the day before.
At the time I wept, realizing that regardless of our own frailties and failings, God can still use those of us who are willing to do His work and are well practiced at hearing His voice...no matter our lack of sparkle in comparison to others.
A simple life lived for Him, a simple ornament in memory of Sara...a simple truth for you to ponder.
***
Tracey Eyster wife, mom, relationship gatherer and Creator/Editor of FamilyLife’s MomLife Today is a media savvy mom making a difference where moms are, on-line. Through speaking, writing and video interviews Tracey is passionate about encouraging, equipping and advising moms on every facet of momlife. Her first book, Be The Mom will be released August 2012. You can connect with Tracey at www.momlifetoday.com, her personal site www.traceyster.com or www.twitter/momblog.com.
December 21, 2011
12 Pearls of Christmas: Putting God in the Driver's Seat
Welcome to the 12 Pearls of Christmas!
Enjoy these Christmas "Pearls of Wisdom" from some of today's most beloved writer's (Tricia Goyer, Suzanne Woods Fisher, Shellie Rushing Tomlinson, Sibella Giorello and more)! Please follow the series through Christmas day as each contributor shares heartfelt stories of how God has touched a life during this most wonderful time of the year.
AND just for fun ... there's also a giveaway! Fill out this simple {form} and enter for a chance to win a beautiful pearl necklace and earring set ($450 value). Contest runs 12/14 - 12/25 and the winner will on 1/1. Contest is only open to US and Canadian residents. You may enter once per day.
If you are unfamiliar with Pearl Girls™, please visit www.pearlgirls.info and see what we're all about. In short, we exist to support the work of charities that help women and children in the US and around the globe. Consider purchasing a copy of Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace or one of the Pearl Girls products (all GREAT gifts!) to help support Pearl Girls.
Enjoy the Ride!
Susan May Warren
We sit poised on the top of a cliff, a near drop off before us, that falls to a rushing river. In the middle, a bridge of snow and ice hints at our destination. My husband guns the snowmobile engine. “Ready?”
Ready? For a face plant into a tree, maybe reconstructive surgery? To feel my stomach ripped from my body as we plummet down the mountain? Let’s do it!
We live on five acres of woods in northern Minnesota that butts up to a national forest. Hence, our backyard is about a hundred thousand acres. Aside from harboring deer, lynx, fox, cougar and bear, it also makes excellent snowmobile terrain. And not long ago, Mrs. Claus gave her Santa a snowmobile for two.
I love snowmobiling. Flying over the snow, catching air over drifts. I love to drive, to be at the helm of the beast as I weave around trees and over hill and dale, my husband sitting behind me. I also love riding behind my husband as he drives, feeling those powerful arms as he’s muscling the snowmobile into the wilds. We follow unknown trails, driven by a Magellan spirit, hoping that we have enough gas to get us back to civilization. I love hanging on, simply trusting him, knowing that wherever he’s taking me, he’s going first.
But there are times, when I see where he’s taking me, and I just have to bury my head in his back. Like straight down a cliff.
However, my heart cheers, despite the terror as we gun it down the hill, over the river, up the opposite side. And, if we hadn’t let ourselves go, we would have never discovered the beauty of a winter river, a hidden jewel buried deep in the forest. Nor the exhilaration of facing the challenge together.
Further on, we find an enchanted forest of towering white pine. Catch a view of Lake Superior, discover an old cabin in the woods.
It occurs to me that snowmobiling is much like my spiritual life. Occasionally, I drive, and it’s me setting our course, weaving through the trees, getting us hopelessly lost. But when God takes the “wheel” and I hang on, trusting Him for the speed and destination, I see the scenery. I trust him to keep me safe. I trust him to bring me home, where there is an eternal supply of hot chocolate.
As Christmas season becomes more hectic, what if I let God drive? Maybe everything doesn’t have to be perfect, and maybe I don’t have to control every tradition, every holiday nuance. What if I just held on for the ride?
I’ll bet I’ll still get there, and I might even enjoy the scenery along the way.
How have you let go, and “enjoyed” the scenery of this hectic, exhilarating Christmas season?
Merry Christmas!
Enjoy these Christmas "Pearls of Wisdom" from some of today's most beloved writer's (Tricia Goyer, Suzanne Woods Fisher, Shellie Rushing Tomlinson, Sibella Giorello and more)! Please follow the series through Christmas day as each contributor shares heartfelt stories of how God has touched a life during this most wonderful time of the year.
AND just for fun ... there's also a giveaway! Fill out this simple {form} and enter for a chance to win a beautiful pearl necklace and earring set ($450 value). Contest runs 12/14 - 12/25 and the winner will on 1/1. Contest is only open to US and Canadian residents. You may enter once per day.
If you are unfamiliar with Pearl Girls™, please visit www.pearlgirls.info and see what we're all about. In short, we exist to support the work of charities that help women and children in the US and around the globe. Consider purchasing a copy of Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace or one of the Pearl Girls products (all GREAT gifts!) to help support Pearl Girls.
***
Enjoy the Ride!
Susan May Warren
We sit poised on the top of a cliff, a near drop off before us, that falls to a rushing river. In the middle, a bridge of snow and ice hints at our destination. My husband guns the snowmobile engine. “Ready?”
Ready? For a face plant into a tree, maybe reconstructive surgery? To feel my stomach ripped from my body as we plummet down the mountain? Let’s do it!
We live on five acres of woods in northern Minnesota that butts up to a national forest. Hence, our backyard is about a hundred thousand acres. Aside from harboring deer, lynx, fox, cougar and bear, it also makes excellent snowmobile terrain. And not long ago, Mrs. Claus gave her Santa a snowmobile for two.
I love snowmobiling. Flying over the snow, catching air over drifts. I love to drive, to be at the helm of the beast as I weave around trees and over hill and dale, my husband sitting behind me. I also love riding behind my husband as he drives, feeling those powerful arms as he’s muscling the snowmobile into the wilds. We follow unknown trails, driven by a Magellan spirit, hoping that we have enough gas to get us back to civilization. I love hanging on, simply trusting him, knowing that wherever he’s taking me, he’s going first.
But there are times, when I see where he’s taking me, and I just have to bury my head in his back. Like straight down a cliff.
However, my heart cheers, despite the terror as we gun it down the hill, over the river, up the opposite side. And, if we hadn’t let ourselves go, we would have never discovered the beauty of a winter river, a hidden jewel buried deep in the forest. Nor the exhilaration of facing the challenge together.
Further on, we find an enchanted forest of towering white pine. Catch a view of Lake Superior, discover an old cabin in the woods.
It occurs to me that snowmobiling is much like my spiritual life. Occasionally, I drive, and it’s me setting our course, weaving through the trees, getting us hopelessly lost. But when God takes the “wheel” and I hang on, trusting Him for the speed and destination, I see the scenery. I trust him to keep me safe. I trust him to bring me home, where there is an eternal supply of hot chocolate.
As Christmas season becomes more hectic, what if I let God drive? Maybe everything doesn’t have to be perfect, and maybe I don’t have to control every tradition, every holiday nuance. What if I just held on for the ride?
I’ll bet I’ll still get there, and I might even enjoy the scenery along the way.
How have you let go, and “enjoyed” the scenery of this hectic, exhilarating Christmas season?
Merry Christmas!
***
Susan May Warren is the RITA award-winning author of thirty novels with Tyndale, Barbour, Steeple Hill and Summerside Press. A four-time Christy award finalist, a two-time RITA Finalist, she’s also a multi-winner of the Inspirational Readers Choice award, and the ACFW Carol Award. A seasoned women’s events speaker, she’s a popular writing teacher at conferences around the nation and the author of the beginning writer’s workbook: From the Inside-Out: discover, create and publish the novel in you!. She is also the founder of www.MyBookTherapy.com, a story-crafting service that helps authors discover their voice.
December 18, 2011
12 Pearls, A Hat & A Whole Lotta Thankful
Welcome to the 12 Pearls of Christmas!
Enjoy these Christmas "Pearls of Wisdom" from some of today's most beloved writer's (Tricia Goyer, Suzanne Woods Fisher, Shellie Rushing Tomlinson, Sibella Giorello and more)! Please follow the series through Christmas day as each contributor shares heartfelt stories of how God has touched a life during this most wonderful time of the year.
AND just for fun ... there's also a giveaway! Fill out this simple {form} and enter for a chance to win a beautiful pearl necklace and earring set ($450 value). Contest runs 12/14 - 12/25 and the winner will on 1/1. Contest is only open to US and Canadian residents. You may enter once per day.
If you are unfamiliar with Pearl Girls™, please visit www.pearlgirls.info and see what we're all about. In short, we exist to support the work of charities that help women and children in the US and around the globe. Consider purchasing a copy of Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace or one of the Pearl Girls products (all GREAT gifts!) to help support Pearl Girls.
Let The Baby Grow Up This Christmas
By Shellie Tomlinson
When I was a little girl, Christmas seemed to take forever to make its way back to our little house on the end of a dirt road called Bull Run in northeast Louisiana. We kids started counting down the days before the leaves ever began turning. Sure, the adults said it came once a year but I wasn't so sure. Once Santa Claus left our humble abode it seemed like light years before he found his way back to the Delta.
That was a child's perspective. I imagine it hasn't changed all that much for today's kids. On the other hand, I'm operating under a completely different time frame these days. It seems like it was just yesterday when I pulled the boxes down from the attic and began pulling out the nativity scene, the miniature lights, and the keepsake ornaments. And now, just that fast-- Christmas Day is right around the corner. Soon the tree will be striped naked and the piled up presents will all be distributed. After a few more day it'll be hard to remember who got what from whom, and once again, I'll start packing all the decorations away for another year.
I was thinking about how bare and cold the house always looks after the holidays when I realized that, sadly, this scene would play itself out in many hearts as well. A lot of people will have had expectations that weren't filled and many of those same souls will be left with hurts that don't seem to heal. Unless this year is remarkably different from past seasons, my bet is, the New Year will bring magazines full of articles on combating depression and the talk shows will have experts on offering ways to fill the long days ahead and cure the winter blues.
I'm no expert, dear readers, but I'd like to offer you a suggestion that will go far beyond the creature comforts of a nice warm bath or a delicious bowl of hot soup. Your heart doesn't have to be bare and naked after the holidays. Do you want to know the real secret? It's simple, really. Don't pack up Christ with Christmas! As beautiful and special as the Christmas story is, it's only a part of heaven's miracle. The Christ child grew into a man and the man became a Savior.
This year, may we be determined to let the babe from Bethlehem live on in our hearts. If we'll allow Him to become the Messiah He was born to be, the joy of Christmas can be ours all year long.
Enjoy these Christmas "Pearls of Wisdom" from some of today's most beloved writer's (Tricia Goyer, Suzanne Woods Fisher, Shellie Rushing Tomlinson, Sibella Giorello and more)! Please follow the series through Christmas day as each contributor shares heartfelt stories of how God has touched a life during this most wonderful time of the year.
AND just for fun ... there's also a giveaway! Fill out this simple {form} and enter for a chance to win a beautiful pearl necklace and earring set ($450 value). Contest runs 12/14 - 12/25 and the winner will on 1/1. Contest is only open to US and Canadian residents. You may enter once per day.
If you are unfamiliar with Pearl Girls™, please visit www.pearlgirls.info and see what we're all about. In short, we exist to support the work of charities that help women and children in the US and around the globe. Consider purchasing a copy of Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace or one of the Pearl Girls products (all GREAT gifts!) to help support Pearl Girls.
***
Let The Baby Grow Up This Christmas
By Shellie Tomlinson
When I was a little girl, Christmas seemed to take forever to make its way back to our little house on the end of a dirt road called Bull Run in northeast Louisiana. We kids started counting down the days before the leaves ever began turning. Sure, the adults said it came once a year but I wasn't so sure. Once Santa Claus left our humble abode it seemed like light years before he found his way back to the Delta.
That was a child's perspective. I imagine it hasn't changed all that much for today's kids. On the other hand, I'm operating under a completely different time frame these days. It seems like it was just yesterday when I pulled the boxes down from the attic and began pulling out the nativity scene, the miniature lights, and the keepsake ornaments. And now, just that fast-- Christmas Day is right around the corner. Soon the tree will be striped naked and the piled up presents will all be distributed. After a few more day it'll be hard to remember who got what from whom, and once again, I'll start packing all the decorations away for another year.
I was thinking about how bare and cold the house always looks after the holidays when I realized that, sadly, this scene would play itself out in many hearts as well. A lot of people will have had expectations that weren't filled and many of those same souls will be left with hurts that don't seem to heal. Unless this year is remarkably different from past seasons, my bet is, the New Year will bring magazines full of articles on combating depression and the talk shows will have experts on offering ways to fill the long days ahead and cure the winter blues.
I'm no expert, dear readers, but I'd like to offer you a suggestion that will go far beyond the creature comforts of a nice warm bath or a delicious bowl of hot soup. Your heart doesn't have to be bare and naked after the holidays. Do you want to know the real secret? It's simple, really. Don't pack up Christ with Christmas! As beautiful and special as the Christmas story is, it's only a part of heaven's miracle. The Christ child grew into a man and the man became a Savior.
This year, may we be determined to let the babe from Bethlehem live on in our hearts. If we'll allow Him to become the Messiah He was born to be, the joy of Christmas can be ours all year long.
***
Shellie Rushing Tomlinson is an author, speaker, and radio host from Louisiana. Her latest release Sue Ellen's Girl Ain't Fat, She Just Weighs Heavy was endorsed by Jeff Foxworthy as "laugh out loud funny!" You can find Shellie's weekly southern features, podcasts, video chats and more at http://www.allthingssouthern.com/ Make sure to get by the blog and read about the Super Christmas Giveaway Shellie is hosting for her readers and secure your chance to win a Mort Kunstler print valued between $700 and $1400. www.allthingssouthern.com***
Today's exhibit in the parade of wild & crazy Christmas hats:
***
More sweet blessings to be thankful for:
33. Planning and shopping for Christmas dinner...such variety, such colors and tastes and textures, such abundance.
34. Inviting some who would otherwise be alone for Christmas.
35. A surprise invitation to dinner to celebrate the husband's birthday.
36. Buttery, garlic-kissed shrimp. And cheesy, garlic biscuits.
37. The jingle of the Salvation Army bells outside every store.
38. Cuddling up with the husband to watch an old rerun on TV and laughing at the jokes we've heard a million times before.
39. Christmas cards finally addressed and ready to mail.
40. This song, my favorite for Christmas:
12 Pearls of Christmas: The Snowflake Party
Welcome to the 12 Pearls of Christmas!
Enjoy these Christmas "Pearls of Wisdom" from some of today's most beloved writer's (Tricia Goyer, Suzanne Woods Fisher, Shellie Rushing Tomlinson, Sibella Giorello and more)! Please follow the series through Christmas day as each contributor shares heartfelt stories of how God has touched a life during this most wonderful time of the year.
AND just for fun ... there's also a giveaway! Fill out this simple {form} and enter for a chance to win a beautiful pearl necklace and earring set ($450 value). Contest runs 12/14 - 12/25 and the winner will on 1/1. Contest is only open to US and Canadian residents. You may enter once per day.
If you are unfamiliar with Pearl Girls™, please visit www.pearlgirls.info and see what we're all about. In short, we exist to support the work of charities that help women and children in the US and around the globe. Consider purchasing a copy of Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace or one of the Pearl Girls products (all GREAT gifts!) to help support Pearl Girls.
The Snowflake Party
By Deborah Raney
The first snow of winter hasn’t fallen yet, but in our kitchen tonight we’re doing a pretty good imitation. The whole family is circled around the huge old oak table. The snip, snip, snip of scissors is background music as tiny scraps of white paper float down, making our floor look like a giant brownie sprinkled with powdered sugar.
Tonight has turned out to be the night for our annual Snowflake Party, a tradition that began when our children were toddlers. There has never been a date blocked out in red on our calendar, but one day we wake up and the brisk autumn air has turned bitter cold. Naked tree branches trace their stark calligraphy on a dull grey sky and we need a taste of the joyful promises of Christmas and snow. It’s the perfect time for a party.
On such a day, one of the kids will fly in the back door, fresh home from school, and declare “Hey, Mom! Tonight would be a good night for the Snowflake Party!” First we round up every pair of scissors in the house. This is one time when sharing is not a virtue. While the kids search for scissors, I cut white paper into squares and fold them caddy-corner multiple times. The resulting triangles are artfully arranged in a basket, awaiting the beginning of the party.
Later, while the supper dishes dry on the counter, I recruit a volunteer to help me stir up a big pot of hot cocoa. For the next hour it will warm on the back burner, tantalizing us with its aroma.
Now the fun begins with careful cutting and snipping, shaping plain white paper into intricate works of art. Each snowflake we create seems as unique and spectacular as the genuine variety created by God himself. As each masterpiece is unfolded, collective oohs and aahs go up.
When the last dregs of our creative juices are drained, Dad oversees the vacuum patrol while I pour cocoa into generous mugs. We spread our handiwork on the floor around us and sit, quietly admiring our work while we dunk marshmallows and sip rich chocolate.
With empty mugs piled up in the sink, it’s time for the judging to begin. There will be awards for ‘prettiest’, ‘most unusual’, and as many other categories as we need for everyone to be a winner. Dad is the judge because he studied art in college. He also usually wins one of the top prizes––because he studied art in college.
Snowflakes deemed runners-up might be pasted in scrapbooks or hung on the refrigerator. A few even “melt” into the trash that very night. But the winners are taped proudly to the picture windows in the living room for passersby to enjoy while they long for the day when genuine snowflakes will color the world clean and white.
Our oldest daughter went away to college last September. She called just after Thanksgiving to tell me that her dorm window was covered with snowflakes. No, not the real thing, but the ones she remembers from her childhood––paper ones that she spent an entire evening cutting and snipping while sipping hot cocoa.
That’s the neat thing about traditions: They go with us no matter how far from home we travel.
Enjoy these Christmas "Pearls of Wisdom" from some of today's most beloved writer's (Tricia Goyer, Suzanne Woods Fisher, Shellie Rushing Tomlinson, Sibella Giorello and more)! Please follow the series through Christmas day as each contributor shares heartfelt stories of how God has touched a life during this most wonderful time of the year.
AND just for fun ... there's also a giveaway! Fill out this simple {form} and enter for a chance to win a beautiful pearl necklace and earring set ($450 value). Contest runs 12/14 - 12/25 and the winner will on 1/1. Contest is only open to US and Canadian residents. You may enter once per day.
If you are unfamiliar with Pearl Girls™, please visit www.pearlgirls.info and see what we're all about. In short, we exist to support the work of charities that help women and children in the US and around the globe. Consider purchasing a copy of Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace or one of the Pearl Girls products (all GREAT gifts!) to help support Pearl Girls.
***
The Snowflake Party
By Deborah Raney
The first snow of winter hasn’t fallen yet, but in our kitchen tonight we’re doing a pretty good imitation. The whole family is circled around the huge old oak table. The snip, snip, snip of scissors is background music as tiny scraps of white paper float down, making our floor look like a giant brownie sprinkled with powdered sugar.
Tonight has turned out to be the night for our annual Snowflake Party, a tradition that began when our children were toddlers. There has never been a date blocked out in red on our calendar, but one day we wake up and the brisk autumn air has turned bitter cold. Naked tree branches trace their stark calligraphy on a dull grey sky and we need a taste of the joyful promises of Christmas and snow. It’s the perfect time for a party.
On such a day, one of the kids will fly in the back door, fresh home from school, and declare “Hey, Mom! Tonight would be a good night for the Snowflake Party!” First we round up every pair of scissors in the house. This is one time when sharing is not a virtue. While the kids search for scissors, I cut white paper into squares and fold them caddy-corner multiple times. The resulting triangles are artfully arranged in a basket, awaiting the beginning of the party.
Later, while the supper dishes dry on the counter, I recruit a volunteer to help me stir up a big pot of hot cocoa. For the next hour it will warm on the back burner, tantalizing us with its aroma.
Now the fun begins with careful cutting and snipping, shaping plain white paper into intricate works of art. Each snowflake we create seems as unique and spectacular as the genuine variety created by God himself. As each masterpiece is unfolded, collective oohs and aahs go up.
When the last dregs of our creative juices are drained, Dad oversees the vacuum patrol while I pour cocoa into generous mugs. We spread our handiwork on the floor around us and sit, quietly admiring our work while we dunk marshmallows and sip rich chocolate.
With empty mugs piled up in the sink, it’s time for the judging to begin. There will be awards for ‘prettiest’, ‘most unusual’, and as many other categories as we need for everyone to be a winner. Dad is the judge because he studied art in college. He also usually wins one of the top prizes––because he studied art in college.
Snowflakes deemed runners-up might be pasted in scrapbooks or hung on the refrigerator. A few even “melt” into the trash that very night. But the winners are taped proudly to the picture windows in the living room for passersby to enjoy while they long for the day when genuine snowflakes will color the world clean and white.
Our oldest daughter went away to college last September. She called just after Thanksgiving to tell me that her dorm window was covered with snowflakes. No, not the real thing, but the ones she remembers from her childhood––paper ones that she spent an entire evening cutting and snipping while sipping hot cocoa.
That’s the neat thing about traditions: They go with us no matter how far from home we travel.
***
DEBORAH RANEY's first novel, A Vow to Cherish, inspired the World Wide Pictures film of the same title. Her books have since won the RITA Award, ACFW Carol Award, HOLT Medallion, National Readers' Choice Award, Silver Angel, and have twice been Christy Award finalists. After All, third in her Hanover Falls Novels series will release next spring from Howard/Simon & Schuster. Deb and her husband, Ken Raney, enjoy small-town life in Kansas. Their four children are grown now and having snowflake parties with their own children––and they all live much too far away. Visit Deb on the web at www.deborahraney.com.
December 15, 2011
12 Pearls of Christmas: Advent Ideas
Welcome to the 12 Pearls of Christmas!
Enjoy these Christmas "Pearls of Wisdom" from some of today's most beloved writer's (Tricia Goyer, Suzanne Woods Fisher, Shellie Rushing Tomlinson, Sibella Giorello and more)! Please follow the series through Christmas day as each contributor shares heartfelt stories of how God has touched a life during this most wonderful time of the year.
AND just for fun ... there's also a giveaway! Fill out this simple {form} and enter for a chance to win a beautiful pearl necklace and earring set ($450 value). Contest runs 12/14 - 12/25 and the winner will on 1/1. Contest is only open to US and Canadian residents. You may enter once per day.
If you are unfamiliar with Pearl Girls™, please visit www.pearlgirls.info and see what we're all about. In short, we exist to support the work of charities that help women and children in the US and around the globe. Consider purchasing a copy of Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace or one of the Pearl Girls products (all GREAT gifts!) to help support Pearl Girls.
Advent
By Sibella Giorello
Consider the bride's walk down the aisle. We all know where that woman in the white is going but somehow waiting for her to arrive at the altar is an essential part of the ceremony. In fact, the waiting is so essential that even cheapskate Vegas chapels include wedding marches.
Why?
Because the wait adds meaning to the moment.
At Christmas time, we tend to forget this essential truth about anticipation. We're lost to shopping malls and checklists, rushing toward December 25th so quickly that we forget the quiet joy of the month's other 24 days -- and then we wonder why we feel so empty on the 26th, amid ribbons and wrapping paper and our best intentions.
Because the wait adds meaning to the moment.
And that is why Advent is so important to Christmas.
I'm as guilty as the next harried person. This Advent was particularly tricky because just six hours before it started, I was still trying to finish a 110,000-word novel that was written over the course of the year -- written while homeschooling my kids, keeping my hubby happy, and generally making sure the house didn't fall down around us.
It's an understatement to say my free time is limited. But waiting adds meaning, and Advent is crucial to Christmas, so I've devised several Advent traditions that are simple, powerful and easy to keep even amid the seasonal rush.
When my kids outgrew the simple Advent calendars around age 7, I stole an idea from my writer friend Shelly Ngo (as T.S. Eliot said, "Mediocre writers borrow. Great writers steal." Indulge me.)
Here's how it goes: Find 24 great Christmas books, wrap them individually and place then under the tree. On the first day of Advent, take turns picking which book to open. When we did this, we would cuddle under a blanket and read aloud -- oh, the wonder, the magic! We savored "The Polar Express," howled with "How Murray Saved Christmas," and fell silent at the end of "The Tale of The Three Trees" (note: some of the picture books I chose were not explicitly about Christmas but they always echoed the message that Jesus came to earth to save us from ourselves and to love us beyond our wildest imagination. In that category, Angela Hunt's retelling of The Three Trees definitely hits the Yuletide bull's eye).
This Advent tradition lasted for about five years. It gave us rich daily discussions about the season's real meaning, without being religious or legalistic, and it increased family couch time. But like the lift-the-flap calendars, my kids outgrew the picture books.
Because the wait adds meaning, and Advent is crucial, I prayed for another way to celebrate anticipation of Christmas. By the grace of God, last year I found an enormous Advent calendar on clearance at Pottery Barn. Made of burlap, it has large pockets big enough to hold some serious bounty.
But my husband and I didn't want the kids focusing only on the materialist stuff for Advent -- we already fight that on Christmas day. We decided to fill the daily pockets with simple necessities and small gift cards. We also printed out the nativity story from Luke 2:1-21 in a large-sized font and cut each verse out. From Day 1 to Day 21, there is one verse to read aloud. The kids memorize it, then get to open their present (again, on alternating days for each person). Then we tape the verse to the wall in order. By Day 22, all the verses are on the wall, in order, and the kids now try to recite the entire nativity story from memory. That's not as difficult as it sounds because they've been memorizing one verse each day. Still, the entire recitation -- verbatim -- usually requires Day 23 and Day 24. Whoever does memorize the entire thing -- without mistakes -- earns a bonus gift of $25.
Does that sounds extravagant?
It is.
Because we want our kids to understand that God came down and humbled himself and taught us about love right before He suffered and died on behalf of the undeserving -- which is every one of us.
"That's" extravagant.
And in the waiting, we find even more meaning.
Enjoy these Christmas "Pearls of Wisdom" from some of today's most beloved writer's (Tricia Goyer, Suzanne Woods Fisher, Shellie Rushing Tomlinson, Sibella Giorello and more)! Please follow the series through Christmas day as each contributor shares heartfelt stories of how God has touched a life during this most wonderful time of the year.
AND just for fun ... there's also a giveaway! Fill out this simple {form} and enter for a chance to win a beautiful pearl necklace and earring set ($450 value). Contest runs 12/14 - 12/25 and the winner will on 1/1. Contest is only open to US and Canadian residents. You may enter once per day.
If you are unfamiliar with Pearl Girls™, please visit www.pearlgirls.info and see what we're all about. In short, we exist to support the work of charities that help women and children in the US and around the globe. Consider purchasing a copy of Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace or one of the Pearl Girls products (all GREAT gifts!) to help support Pearl Girls.
***
Advent
By Sibella Giorello
Consider the bride's walk down the aisle. We all know where that woman in the white is going but somehow waiting for her to arrive at the altar is an essential part of the ceremony. In fact, the waiting is so essential that even cheapskate Vegas chapels include wedding marches.
Why?
Because the wait adds meaning to the moment.
At Christmas time, we tend to forget this essential truth about anticipation. We're lost to shopping malls and checklists, rushing toward December 25th so quickly that we forget the quiet joy of the month's other 24 days -- and then we wonder why we feel so empty on the 26th, amid ribbons and wrapping paper and our best intentions.
Because the wait adds meaning to the moment.
And that is why Advent is so important to Christmas.
I'm as guilty as the next harried person. This Advent was particularly tricky because just six hours before it started, I was still trying to finish a 110,000-word novel that was written over the course of the year -- written while homeschooling my kids, keeping my hubby happy, and generally making sure the house didn't fall down around us.
It's an understatement to say my free time is limited. But waiting adds meaning, and Advent is crucial to Christmas, so I've devised several Advent traditions that are simple, powerful and easy to keep even amid the seasonal rush.
When my kids outgrew the simple Advent calendars around age 7, I stole an idea from my writer friend Shelly Ngo (as T.S. Eliot said, "Mediocre writers borrow. Great writers steal." Indulge me.)
Here's how it goes: Find 24 great Christmas books, wrap them individually and place then under the tree. On the first day of Advent, take turns picking which book to open. When we did this, we would cuddle under a blanket and read aloud -- oh, the wonder, the magic! We savored "The Polar Express," howled with "How Murray Saved Christmas," and fell silent at the end of "The Tale of The Three Trees" (note: some of the picture books I chose were not explicitly about Christmas but they always echoed the message that Jesus came to earth to save us from ourselves and to love us beyond our wildest imagination. In that category, Angela Hunt's retelling of The Three Trees definitely hits the Yuletide bull's eye).
This Advent tradition lasted for about five years. It gave us rich daily discussions about the season's real meaning, without being religious or legalistic, and it increased family couch time. But like the lift-the-flap calendars, my kids outgrew the picture books.
Because the wait adds meaning, and Advent is crucial, I prayed for another way to celebrate anticipation of Christmas. By the grace of God, last year I found an enormous Advent calendar on clearance at Pottery Barn. Made of burlap, it has large pockets big enough to hold some serious bounty.
But my husband and I didn't want the kids focusing only on the materialist stuff for Advent -- we already fight that on Christmas day. We decided to fill the daily pockets with simple necessities and small gift cards. We also printed out the nativity story from Luke 2:1-21 in a large-sized font and cut each verse out. From Day 1 to Day 21, there is one verse to read aloud. The kids memorize it, then get to open their present (again, on alternating days for each person). Then we tape the verse to the wall in order. By Day 22, all the verses are on the wall, in order, and the kids now try to recite the entire nativity story from memory. That's not as difficult as it sounds because they've been memorizing one verse each day. Still, the entire recitation -- verbatim -- usually requires Day 23 and Day 24. Whoever does memorize the entire thing -- without mistakes -- earns a bonus gift of $25.
Does that sounds extravagant?
It is.
Because we want our kids to understand that God came down and humbled himself and taught us about love right before He suffered and died on behalf of the undeserving -- which is every one of us.
"That's" extravagant.
And in the waiting, we find even more meaning.
***
Sibella Giorello writes the Raleigh Harmon mystery series which won the Christy Award with its first book "The Stones Cry Out." She lives in Washington state with her husband and children, and often wishes there were 36 hours in a day.
December 11, 2011
A Promise Kept
I've kept my promise, to you and myself. I began reading Ann Voskamp's book One Thousand Gifts this weekend. Ann spoke at Relevant '11. No, she did more than that. When she opened her lips, the words that came softly, drifting down on the audience like flakes of snow, pure and sparkling, were like manna from heaven feeding and refreshing tired, starving souls.
The woman has the most grace-filled way of speaking and writing. Each word is like a brushstroke from a master's hand, slowly building and filling in the picture that most of us don't have the artist's eye to see. As beautiful as her words are, though, they pale beside her message. A message of a life lived fully in holy joy through thanksgiving....and doesn't that just make me sit up a little straighter and pay attention, when that is exactly what this blog is meant to be about!
There is something about Ann's story that resonates deep within the soul of each person who reads it. I only made it to page 27 before something struck me, cutting me so sharply, so deeply, that a sob escaped and tears ran down my face:
"I wake to self-hatred. To the wrestle to get it all done, the relentless anxiety that I am failing. Always, the failing. I yell at children, fester with bitterness, forget doctor appointments, lose library books, live selfishly, skip prayer, complain, go to bed too late, neglect cleaning the toilets. I live tired. Afraid. Anxious. Weary. Years, I feel it in the veins, the pulsing of ruptured hopes. Would I ever be enough, find enough, do enough?"
Holy crow! It was like looking in a mirror for the first time and being shocked because all this time you thought you looked pretty good, but really your hair is sticking up, you've got dirt on your face, broccoli stuck in your teeth, and well, you're just kind of goofy looking to begin with.....and yet, you don't doubt the mirror image is you. You recognize yourself.
This journey that Ann writes about. The one that doesn't go anywhere. The one that happens right here. Right now. This one that teaches thankfulness that leads to living a full life. This is the abundant life I seek. The life Jesus came to give.
I am not yet, even half through the book, but I'm going to begin to join in each week with those who link up to Ann's blog every Monday to share the things they find to be thankful for in this moment. This right now.
And so my list of 1000 sweet blessings begins:
1. The soft "swoowsh...swoowsh...swooswsh" of a whisk mixing cake batter in a green bowl.
2. The lights on the Christmas tree that twinkle like stars in the sky if I squinch up my eyes just right when I look at them.
3. The poodle who flops against my chest, gazes adoringly up at me, turns his tiny paw to cling to me, and heaves a mighty, contented sigh.
4. A husband who can fix anything.
5. Cold, late-Fall Sundays with not much else to do but simply enjoy the day and the people.
6. A sudden memory of Nana. Kind, loving, ever patient, nature-loving, and always my champion.
7. Peppermint tea....warm and soothing on a throat thinking about being sore.
8. The hour of twilight when the sun grows dim and the shadows lengthen.
9. Steamy, savory, homemade chicken noodle soup.
10. Yankee Candles in scents so delicious you want to lick the jar.
r
The woman has the most grace-filled way of speaking and writing. Each word is like a brushstroke from a master's hand, slowly building and filling in the picture that most of us don't have the artist's eye to see. As beautiful as her words are, though, they pale beside her message. A message of a life lived fully in holy joy through thanksgiving....and doesn't that just make me sit up a little straighter and pay attention, when that is exactly what this blog is meant to be about!
There is something about Ann's story that resonates deep within the soul of each person who reads it. I only made it to page 27 before something struck me, cutting me so sharply, so deeply, that a sob escaped and tears ran down my face:
"I wake to self-hatred. To the wrestle to get it all done, the relentless anxiety that I am failing. Always, the failing. I yell at children, fester with bitterness, forget doctor appointments, lose library books, live selfishly, skip prayer, complain, go to bed too late, neglect cleaning the toilets. I live tired. Afraid. Anxious. Weary. Years, I feel it in the veins, the pulsing of ruptured hopes. Would I ever be enough, find enough, do enough?"
Holy crow! It was like looking in a mirror for the first time and being shocked because all this time you thought you looked pretty good, but really your hair is sticking up, you've got dirt on your face, broccoli stuck in your teeth, and well, you're just kind of goofy looking to begin with.....and yet, you don't doubt the mirror image is you. You recognize yourself.
This journey that Ann writes about. The one that doesn't go anywhere. The one that happens right here. Right now. This one that teaches thankfulness that leads to living a full life. This is the abundant life I seek. The life Jesus came to give.
I am not yet, even half through the book, but I'm going to begin to join in each week with those who link up to Ann's blog every Monday to share the things they find to be thankful for in this moment. This right now.
And so my list of 1000 sweet blessings begins:
1. The soft "swoowsh...swoowsh...swooswsh" of a whisk mixing cake batter in a green bowl.
2. The lights on the Christmas tree that twinkle like stars in the sky if I squinch up my eyes just right when I look at them.
3. The poodle who flops against my chest, gazes adoringly up at me, turns his tiny paw to cling to me, and heaves a mighty, contented sigh.
4. A husband who can fix anything.
5. Cold, late-Fall Sundays with not much else to do but simply enjoy the day and the people.
6. A sudden memory of Nana. Kind, loving, ever patient, nature-loving, and always my champion.
7. Peppermint tea....warm and soothing on a throat thinking about being sore.
8. The hour of twilight when the sun grows dim and the shadows lengthen.
9. Steamy, savory, homemade chicken noodle soup.
10. Yankee Candles in scents so delicious you want to lick the jar.
rNovember 11, 2011
30 Days of Thankfulness - 11
Today I am thankful for and grateful to all of the men and women who serve or have served in the military to protect our freedoms and way of life. May God pour out His blessing upon you and your families.
Happy Veteran's Day!
 |
| Image found on Thefirstgradeparade.blogspot.com via Pinterest. |
September 29, 2011
Just a Thought
"Come to the edge," he said.
They said, "We are afraid."
"Come to the edge," he said.
They came.
He pushed them and
they flew.
~Guillaume Apollinaire
July 12, 2011
A Good Teacher Is A Beautiful Thing
The following video is of a commencement speech delivered by one of the finest teachers our school district has ever seen. A friend shared it on Facebook and I thought it was worth sharing here.
June 05, 2011
Porch Sittin'
*Lots of yard work needing done today so I thought to save myself some time I'd share with you a post I wrote on a former blog back in May of 2004. Hope you enjoy it and this beautiful summer Sunday.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A Mayberry Soul
Becky Freeman is one of my favorite Christian writers. Her light-hearted thoughts on serious matters so often reflect what's going on in my own head. Take for example her book, A View from the Porch Swing. I picked it up today, prompted by the recent changes in my blog, and started rereading it for the first time in several years. Opening those pages was like meeting up with a good friend I hadn't seen in a while and delighting in getting to know her again. It's too hot to visit on the porch this afternoon so ice-cold tea and the livingroom sofa had to do....
Becky: I was sharing with my mom the other day how I want to know how I can live out the rest of my days with a greater sense of laid-back joy.
Me: Holy cow! Stop the presses! That is exactly what I am looking for in my life. Did your mom offer any insight?
Becky: Well, she said she understood what I meant.
Me: Really?
Becky: Yeah. It surprised me, too. She said she was watching an old rerun of The Andy Griffith Show the other day and there was this scene where Barney and Andy were sitting on the front porch swing, chatting and chuckling and stopping here and there to sigh at the stars. She said something inside of her jumped and she thought, "We aren't doing enough sitting and swinging and shooting the breeze anymore."
Me: Wow. I understand that. It's peaceful. I want peace in my life. What do you want, Becky?
Becky: I want to swing on the porch, glide back and forth in an easy rapport with my husband and kids and friends. I want to prop one leg up, lie back, look at the stars - and shoot the breeze with the One who made them. I want to slow down, simplify - be at home in my own head. What I need is a Mayberry Soul!
A Mayberry Soul. I like that.
Are you tired? Worn out?...Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me - watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn how to live freely and lightly. (From Jesus' invitation, Matt. 11:29, The Message)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
And by the way....I've posted Day 1 of The 30 Day Book Challenge over at Stacy's Reading Corner.
Becky: I was sharing with my mom the other day how I want to know how I can live out the rest of my days with a greater sense of laid-back joy.
Me: Holy cow! Stop the presses! That is exactly what I am looking for in my life. Did your mom offer any insight?
Becky: Well, she said she understood what I meant.
Me: Really?
Becky: Yeah. It surprised me, too. She said she was watching an old rerun of The Andy Griffith Show the other day and there was this scene where Barney and Andy were sitting on the front porch swing, chatting and chuckling and stopping here and there to sigh at the stars. She said something inside of her jumped and she thought, "We aren't doing enough sitting and swinging and shooting the breeze anymore."
Me: Wow. I understand that. It's peaceful. I want peace in my life. What do you want, Becky?
Becky: I want to swing on the porch, glide back and forth in an easy rapport with my husband and kids and friends. I want to prop one leg up, lie back, look at the stars - and shoot the breeze with the One who made them. I want to slow down, simplify - be at home in my own head. What I need is a Mayberry Soul!
A Mayberry Soul. I like that.
Are you tired? Worn out?...Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me - watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn how to live freely and lightly. (From Jesus' invitation, Matt. 11:29, The Message)
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And by the way....I've posted Day 1 of The 30 Day Book Challenge over at Stacy's Reading Corner.
May 18, 2011
Git 'R' Done
If you're like me, you probably define wisdom as not only having "smarts" but knowing how to apply those smarts. That definition was really reworked for me last night in Bible study. In the Greek it means discreet, temperate, self-controlled, sober, sober-minded, sensible, reasonable, wise, and orderly. There is a lot more to this wisdom stuff than I thought.
As women under God's calling to live our lives as nothing short of godly we have many responsibilities and God wants us to apply wisdom to each area of our responsibilities. And just what are those areas? Taken from A Woman's High Calling by Elizabeth George, they are:
I know it seems like so much more to do, but begin by weighing each thing you do against God's priorities (those areas listed above). If something doesn't fit into those then it just doesn't matter in the long run. Keep your eyes on the Lord, love him with all that you have, take care of things according to His priorities and He will take care of the rest. You will have the time and energy to do it all.
As women under God's calling to live our lives as nothing short of godly we have many responsibilities and God wants us to apply wisdom to each area of our responsibilities. And just what are those areas? Taken from A Woman's High Calling by Elizabeth George, they are:
- Spiritual Life - loving God first and foremost.
- Family Life - loving and serving those at home ahead of others.
- Home Life - taking care of the place our loved ones live.
- Church Life - discovering, growing and using our spiritual gifts.
- Physical Life - making sure our body is fit and able to serve God and others.
- Social Life - time for friends and neighbors.
- Financial Life - being a wise steward of what God has given us.
- Mental Life - using our mind to grow and bring glory to God.
It's daunting, I know. Believe me I sit here some days and feel completely overwhelmed by all the things that need doing. I look at the lives of some Christian women I know and just thinking about all that they accomplish in a day makes me feel exhausted (and a bit like a failure, too), yet they never seem to slow down, are always on top of things, cheerful, and a joy to be around. I fight a mighty battle with envy when faced with women who personify the Proverbs 31 woman and seem to live perfect lives with perfect families in perfect homes. At least that's what I thought it was until I started to hear God whispering in my ear that maybe it's not that I am jealous of them, so much as it is I am feeling guilty for not applying myself to living the life God has planned for me. Ouch!
Thank heavens our God is a god who knows our needs and our short-comings and has made plans for us to overcome them. Each one of us desires in our deepest heart to trade the failures, chaos, and mere survival of this life for success, peace, and meaningful accomplishments. The good news is that we can have that. We must simply seek God's calling to wisdom and as we grow our "smarts" and learn how to apply them to those areas of our lives that concern God we will begin to see a transformation not only in our lives, but in the lives of our loved ones as they are affected and influenced by our choosing to live in godly wisdom.
I know it seems like so much more to do, but begin by weighing each thing you do against God's priorities (those areas listed above). If something doesn't fit into those then it just doesn't matter in the long run. Keep your eyes on the Lord, love him with all that you have, take care of things according to His priorities and He will take care of the rest. You will have the time and energy to do it all.
"Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative,
God provisions. Don't worry about missing
out. You'll find all your everyday human
concerns will be met."
~Matthew 6:33, The Message
May 10, 2011
Bucket List
I really should have spent more time reading over the latest 30 day challenge. Seems there are a few vacation days built into it and a couple of the prompts I don't like, soooo....I'm dropping it. I may take a few cues from it now and then. Like today.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A bucket list.
Everybody has one or at least it seems that way thanks to the movie of the same name. I don't ever remember hearing about bucket lists before the movie. We just called them wish lists or dreams and it seemed like only children had time to make such lists or even expect to see those things come true.
I kind of like bucket list better as a name because wishes and dreams are sort of like rainbows....beautiful and bright but hard to catch and the time frame on wishes and dreams is very open-ended and implies all the time in the world. A bucket list, on the other hand, suggests time is limited. Life is short so you'd better get your behind up off the sofa and get to the things on your list.
I made a bucket list for myself a couple of years ago and I have it tucked away here at my desk. I have to admit I haven't looked at it in quite a while. Now that it's out I thought I'd share it and tell you how things are going with it.
So, tell me.....what's on your bucket list?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A bucket list.
I kind of like bucket list better as a name because wishes and dreams are sort of like rainbows....beautiful and bright but hard to catch and the time frame on wishes and dreams is very open-ended and implies all the time in the world. A bucket list, on the other hand, suggests time is limited. Life is short so you'd better get your behind up off the sofa and get to the things on your list.
I made a bucket list for myself a couple of years ago and I have it tucked away here at my desk. I have to admit I haven't looked at it in quite a while. Now that it's out I thought I'd share it and tell you how things are going with it.
STACY'S BUCKET LIST
- Study photography.
- Study gardening/horticulture.
- Drive across the country on U.S. Route 30 (the old Lincoln Highway) with no particular plan. I'd also like to drive Route 66 from one end to the other.
- Live in the country.
- Take a long train trip.
- Volunteer with a charity.
- Rediscover my creativity by crafting things, or drawing or writing. I am doing more writing, at least here on the blog.
- Travel to New England and research my ancestors.
- Be grateful. I've come a long way on this one.
- Go deep sea fishing.
- Join a club or group I really enjoy. I'm in a club, but I haven't been too excited about it. I will be the president next year so we'll see if I can bring it back on track.
- Find a church to attend. YES!!! Got this one done. :)
- Repair family relationships. I was talking about my aunts. No real progress there, but they both live at least 1000 miles away so it's hard to do anything about it.
- Live in the moment. When I see or hear of something I want to do...do it!
- Own a Mustang (the car, not a horse).
- Go whale watching.
- See a musical on Broadway.
- Visit Sea World, San Diego and the San Diego Zoo.
- Go to Washington, D.C. (I've been as a kid...not the same) and see all of the Smithsonian, visit the Library of Congress, see the Constitution, see all the memorials to presidents and soldiers, stroll through Arlington and really appreciate the great sacrifice represented there, stand on the spot MLK delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech.
- Tour the Gettysburg battlefields on horseback.
- Go to the Caribbean.
- Go to Mexico.
- Go to the bottom of the Grand Canyon.
- Tour the Mediterranian area...Greece, Italy, etc.
- Take the tour that goes behind Niagara Falls.
- Look for the elk in Benezet, PA.
- Go back to Gallup, NM.
- Go to the Four Corners region of the Navajo reservation and stand in 4 states at once.
- See the Pacific Ocean.
- Visit....New Orleans, San Antonio, Las Vegas, Cheyenne.
- Visit the island off the coast of Washington state that I've heard is true virgin, primordeal forest.
- Visit Alaska (NOT in the winter).
- Learn to sew.
- Make a quilt.
- Visit the Smokey Mountains.
- Finish all the craft projects I already own.
- Be happy/more positive/beat the depression. I do think I'm making a good bit of progress on this.
- Do one new thing or at least learn one new thing every day.
- Plant a pink dogwood tree on my grandparents' grave.
- Go on a cruise.
- Learn to shoot a gun.
- Go on a big game hunt with Ted Nugent.
So, tell me.....what's on your bucket list?
April 22, 2011
This Is Love
I wanted to leave you all with something to think about on this Good Friday. Several years ago The Visual Bible released The Gospel of Matthew starring Bruce Marciano as Jesus. The dialog is word for word from the Bible. The stories are the same as they've always been, but Marciano brought something to Jesus I have honestly never seen in any other portrayal. He brought joy. Through him you see Jesus laughing with friends, rejoicing at a healing, sharing in the wonder of someone seeing for the first time, loving his family and friends, and truly loving the children. I believe this was a divinely inspired performance and an accurate portrait of Jesus because I know my savior was a man of joy. If you have never seen these videos, do yourself a favor and get hold of them somewhere and watch them. If you have children in your life find them a copy of The Story Behind the Cross starring Judge Reinholdt (yes, the one from Fast Times at Ridgemont High) telling the story of the cross to a group of troubled teens using excerpts from Matthew.
Here's a music video I found set to images from The Gospel of Matthew. Listen to it, but watch Jesus. I think it will take your breath away.
Peace be with you, my friends.
Here's a music video I found set to images from The Gospel of Matthew. Listen to it, but watch Jesus. I think it will take your breath away.
Peace be with you, my friends.
April 18, 2011
"I Do" Is Just the Beginning
I wanted to share with you a little bit today about this week's Bible study lesson from Elizabeth George's A Woman's High Calling. The chapter the group read this week was A Woman's Calling to Her Marriage.
Uh-oh.
Marriage can be a touchy subject for me when it comes to Bible studies. First of all, I've shared on here about Tim's workaholic ways. To say that I am less than thrilled with those tendencies is, quite frankly, an understatement and most Bible studies I've done on marriage seem to frown on anything less than total support for the husband and his work. Secondly, most Bible studies on marriage go on and on about a wife's need to submit to her husband. I was raised to be strong and independent. The idea of submitting myself to a man rubs me the wrong way.
This lesson is different. Right from the start it made me feel much better about submission when I learned that submission is a military term meaning to voluntarily line up under the authority of another. Voluntarily. Did you catch that part? George goes on to say that submission is a choice and a decision that a wife has to make. Is she going to go it alone or honor God's will by honoring her husband?
So, it's a choice I get to make. I get to decide if I want to submit myself. Nobody's going to force me. I can live with that.
I think that first bit about submission was just setting the stage....making me comfortable....and receptive. Because it sure as shootin' got a lot more un-comfortable after that. There was a lot of stuff about how a wife is to help her husband and follow him and respect him.
(From here on, this is a rough "transcript" of the conversation going on in my head while I was working on this lesson yesterday.)
Now, I'm just guessing here, but my idea of respect and God's idea of respect probably aren't exactly the same.
Respecting your husband means "actively" demonstrating and showing high regard for him in ways that all can see. It means choosing to love your husband....making that decision daily. It means you put time and effort and care into loving him. It means you pray for him, because you can't hate someone you are praying for. You can't neglect them, either. It means that every day you find something (even if you have to search really, really hard) to praise him for. It means you pamper him every day.
Whoa, whoa, whoa! PAMPER HIM? Like give him massages and footrubs and wait on him hand and foot? Do you have any idea how long it's been since he's pampered me?
Pampering can be little things. Like making what he likes for dinner or having his paper and a cup of tea ready when he gets home or making his favorite kind of cookies. Pampering is just a way of clearly telling your husband you value him and care about him. The more time and energy you put into loving him, the more you will find your heart changing and the loving will become a natural action.
So, I'm having a hard time here. Is it okay, then, for a husband to neglect his wife in the name of work? And she's just supposed to smile about it and bake him another batch of cookies?
No, that's not what God intends for a marriage at all, but....
And here it comes....
There is nothing a wife can do to change her husband's behavior. Change comes from God and the husband has to be willing and open to it. What a wife can do is make sure she is following God's direction for her life. If a wife does that, she will begin to see change in her husband as his heart softens and becomes more receptive....spurred on by her own sweet, gentle, godly spirit.
Oh, how wrong I've been! Father, forgive me my hard heart and wrong thinking. Grant me your grace and patience, your kindness and understanding. Help me become the very model of what a wife should be so that Tim will see you in my life and be swayed to make his own changes.
Uh-oh.
Marriage can be a touchy subject for me when it comes to Bible studies. First of all, I've shared on here about Tim's workaholic ways. To say that I am less than thrilled with those tendencies is, quite frankly, an understatement and most Bible studies I've done on marriage seem to frown on anything less than total support for the husband and his work. Secondly, most Bible studies on marriage go on and on about a wife's need to submit to her husband. I was raised to be strong and independent. The idea of submitting myself to a man rubs me the wrong way.
This lesson is different. Right from the start it made me feel much better about submission when I learned that submission is a military term meaning to voluntarily line up under the authority of another. Voluntarily. Did you catch that part? George goes on to say that submission is a choice and a decision that a wife has to make. Is she going to go it alone or honor God's will by honoring her husband?
So, it's a choice I get to make. I get to decide if I want to submit myself. Nobody's going to force me. I can live with that.
I think that first bit about submission was just setting the stage....making me comfortable....and receptive. Because it sure as shootin' got a lot more un-comfortable after that. There was a lot of stuff about how a wife is to help her husband and follow him and respect him.
(From here on, this is a rough "transcript" of the conversation going on in my head while I was working on this lesson yesterday.)
Now, I'm just guessing here, but my idea of respect and God's idea of respect probably aren't exactly the same.
Respecting your husband means "actively" demonstrating and showing high regard for him in ways that all can see. It means choosing to love your husband....making that decision daily. It means you put time and effort and care into loving him. It means you pray for him, because you can't hate someone you are praying for. You can't neglect them, either. It means that every day you find something (even if you have to search really, really hard) to praise him for. It means you pamper him every day.
Whoa, whoa, whoa! PAMPER HIM? Like give him massages and footrubs and wait on him hand and foot? Do you have any idea how long it's been since he's pampered me?
Pampering can be little things. Like making what he likes for dinner or having his paper and a cup of tea ready when he gets home or making his favorite kind of cookies. Pampering is just a way of clearly telling your husband you value him and care about him. The more time and energy you put into loving him, the more you will find your heart changing and the loving will become a natural action.
So, I'm having a hard time here. Is it okay, then, for a husband to neglect his wife in the name of work? And she's just supposed to smile about it and bake him another batch of cookies?
No, that's not what God intends for a marriage at all, but....
And here it comes....
There is nothing a wife can do to change her husband's behavior. Change comes from God and the husband has to be willing and open to it. What a wife can do is make sure she is following God's direction for her life. If a wife does that, she will begin to see change in her husband as his heart softens and becomes more receptive....spurred on by her own sweet, gentle, godly spirit.
Oh, how wrong I've been! Father, forgive me my hard heart and wrong thinking. Grant me your grace and patience, your kindness and understanding. Help me become the very model of what a wife should be so that Tim will see you in my life and be swayed to make his own changes.
January 19, 2011
The Dash
One of the two remaining sisters is flying in tomorrow to take care of it all even though he has children in the area. He wasn't on speaking terms with them. We don't even know if they know he passed because they don't have anything to do with us, either. The rift with their father was so deep that they want no connection to anything connected to him. We understand how they feel. By all accounts the man was an abusive, womanizing, lying, cheating, no-good.....well, you get the idea. We spoke to him if we saw him, but we did not seek him out. My guess is that his final wishes are what they are out of a fear that no one would show up.
This brought to mind a story I've heard before (it makes the rounds of the Internet every so often) about an older woman who died and a man who spoke at her funeral. He talked about how when we're gone, the stone placed on our grave will carry nothing more than a name, a birth date, and the day we die. Oh, and that little dash between the dates. That little dash that represents the whole of our lives.
Wow, huh? What will your dash represent? Will it be crammed full of loving family and friends, happy moments, tragedies survived, fulfilling work, things that made a difference to someone else? Will you leave behind anyone who will remember what made up your dash? Or will your dash be filled with things that bring you shame in your last days, break the hearts of others, or just be empty and barren?
What if you knew today was your last day on Earth? Would you be satisfied with what your dash contains? None of us knows how much time we have and eternity is a very long time to live with your regrets. If you aren't happy with what you're filling your dash with, change it. Beginning today, start living in a way that will have your dash bulging at the seams with all the good things it represents.
Here is the original poem, The Dash by Linda Ellis.
I read of a reverend who stood to speak
at the funeral of his friend.
He referred to the dates on her tombstone
from the beginning...to the end.
at the funeral of his friend.
He referred to the dates on her tombstone
from the beginning...to the end.
He noted that first came the date of her birth
and spoke of the following date with tears,
but he said what mattered most of all
was the dash between those years.
and spoke of the following date with tears,
but he said what mattered most of all
was the dash between those years.
For that dash represents all the time
that she spent alive on earth…
and now only those who loved her
know what that little line is worth.
that she spent alive on earth…
and now only those who loved her
know what that little line is worth.
For it matters not, how much we own;
the cars…the house…the cash.
What matters is how we live and love
and how we spend our dash.
the cars…the house…the cash.
What matters is how we live and love
and how we spend our dash.
So think about this long and hard…
are there things you’d like to change?
For you never know how much time is left.
(You could be at "dash mid-range.")
are there things you’d like to change?
For you never know how much time is left.
(You could be at "dash mid-range.")
If we could just slow down enough
to consider what’s true and real,
and always try to understand
the way other people feel.
to consider what’s true and real,
and always try to understand
the way other people feel.
And be less quick to anger,
and show appreciation more
and love the people in our lives
like we’ve never loved before.
and show appreciation more
and love the people in our lives
like we’ve never loved before.
If we treat each other with respect,
and more often wear a smile…
remembering that this special dash
might only last a little while.
and more often wear a smile…
remembering that this special dash
might only last a little while.
So, when your eulogy’s being read
with your life’s actions to rehash...
would you be proud of the things they say
about how you spent your dash?
with your life’s actions to rehash...
would you be proud of the things they say
about how you spent your dash?
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