The Christmas season is full of hustle and bustle, shopping and giving, traveling and cooking... we stay so busy that we often forget the reason we are celebrating... sure we go to church on Sunday or a Christmas Eve candle light service, but how many times to we actually stop to meditate on the real reason for the season ( I know... I went there...) The overused phrase echoes through our minds during the holiday, then passes quietly out of sight until the next Christmas season.
Christmas has always been a favorite holiday of mine... it brings back great memories of family. The familiar smells that trigger a magic that seems to be forgotten as soon as its December 26th... this year is different for me... the magic is still there, the scents still trigger the familiarity of old memories... I've changed... It's not about what I can get anymore... (gifts are great, don't get me wrong... they just aren't my focus anymore)
Last year didn't feel much like Christmas, and I was determined that this year would be different... well, I got my wish... this past year has been very different. Once upon a time, I swore that I didn't want to have anything to do with ministry, marry someone who wanted to be a part of ministry, or even really be near those who wanted to be in ministry... (just being honest... actually, the thought of ministry scared the daylights out of me... still does on occasion, if I'm really honest). This past year, God has been working on me a lot... ministry wise *gulp*... and the culmination of this year brings me to the reason for this blog today... ( I know, get on with it already...)
With all that has been going on this past year, I've really been overwhelmed by so many things... one in particular was the fact that (and I am speaking to myself more then anything with this...) I've been so focused on my part in the ministry and my role in my life and my book and my Bible study... do you notice an overabundance of the word my in that last statement... I did. I was so focused on me, me, me... that I forgot that its a ministry... that's supposed to be focused on God instead of me... God gave me the words to write, the ideas to blog about, the passion that I sometimes overwhelm people with... He gave me that and I have been overlooking that. Earlier this year, I was presented with the 31 day challenge... where you blog each day for the month of October... and what started out and my favorite songs, turned quickly into studies on worship... and that's when it hit hard... I was so busy trying to be awesome in my own strength that I had turned the focus to me, instead of God.
This Advent season is no different... I wanted to do a blog series during Christmas and nothing was coming to me... so I stopped, switched my focus to God and suddenly I was writing so fast that I could barely keep up with my thoughts...
The Advent season, thanks to the creative-ness of my two friends Kristine and Victoria on Twitter, ADVENTure was born.
Each Sunday will present a theme that will be explored during the week, either with a short devotional or song.... (wow, I'm really verbose this morning...)
All of that to say, Join me this Christmas season (it will run all 31 days of December^_^) for a wonderful ADVENTure that will explore the themes of hope, love, joy and peace starting Decmeber 1st!
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Monday, November 26, 2012
Random Thoughts About Christmas...
As we were decorating the house this past weekend, I put on Muppets Christmas Carol. More for noise than anything... but ended up being struck by several of the songs. Our church has been focusing on being Thankful during the Thanksgiving season and it struck me, that we should not just be thankful around the holiday season... as Thanksgiving rolls into Christmas, the new year and beyond... we should always be in that mindset of Thanksfulness and giving. One of the songs (sung by the jovial Ghost of Cristmas Present) was It feels like Christmas... one particular part says: It is the season of the heart, A special time of caring. The ways of love made clear
It is the season of the spirit, The message if we hear it, Is make it last all year.
I encourage you to watch this movie at some point during the holiday season, even if you've seen it before...
At the end of the movie, as Scrooge wakes to find that he has a second chance at life, he decides then and there to live differently. I love the line that states: Yes, everyday will end and everyday will start With a gratful prayer and a thankful heart.
As we begin this Christmas season, as decorations go up and Christmas music plays from every street corner, as it begins to turn colder and even *gasp* snow... embrace the true meaning of the Holidays and be Thankful... open your heart to the possibilities and magic that Christmastime can bring!
I've been thinking this past week about doing short, daily Christmas themed blogs during the advent season... it's been on my mind a lot lately this past week. The only question is if I am up to the challange... You will find out Saturday:)
Have a wonderful week!
I encourage you to watch this movie at some point during the holiday season, even if you've seen it before...
At the end of the movie, as Scrooge wakes to find that he has a second chance at life, he decides then and there to live differently. I love the line that states: Yes, everyday will end and everyday will start With a gratful prayer and a thankful heart.
As we begin this Christmas season, as decorations go up and Christmas music plays from every street corner, as it begins to turn colder and even *gasp* snow... embrace the true meaning of the Holidays and be Thankful... open your heart to the possibilities and magic that Christmastime can bring!
I've been thinking this past week about doing short, daily Christmas themed blogs during the advent season... it's been on my mind a lot lately this past week. The only question is if I am up to the challange... You will find out Saturday:)
Have a wonderful week!
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
It's a Beautiful Day
The beginning of this week has been less than satisfactory in that I haven't been alert enough to actually enjoy it. The holidays are rapidly approaching and I am falling further and further behind... but on my way to work this morning I was reminded of just how amazing today can be... I was scanning through my music and found U2's song Beautiful Day.
I hadn't heard the song in a while, so i listened all the way to work... one of the lines says It's a Beautiful Day, don't let it get away... and as I listened I realized that I had been watching life go by and taking a lot of it for granted. I didn't smell the roses (they aren't in season), I didn't take the time to watch a sunrise (probably because I refuse to get up that early on principle) or a sunset (possibly because it's depressing that it gets dark so early these days)... and then I realized that I'd been making excuses and complaining more than I was enjoying life...
Psalm 118:24 says: This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it... and Philippians 4:4 says: Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say Rejoice!
Have a Beautiful day!
I hadn't heard the song in a while, so i listened all the way to work... one of the lines says It's a Beautiful Day, don't let it get away... and as I listened I realized that I had been watching life go by and taking a lot of it for granted. I didn't smell the roses (they aren't in season), I didn't take the time to watch a sunrise (probably because I refuse to get up that early on principle) or a sunset (possibly because it's depressing that it gets dark so early these days)... and then I realized that I'd been making excuses and complaining more than I was enjoying life...
Psalm 118:24 says: This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it... and Philippians 4:4 says: Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say Rejoice!
Have a Beautiful day!
Friday, November 9, 2012
Why do you want to fit in, when you were born to stand out?
We all want to belong... to fit in amongst like minded people... to be a part of something bigger than ourselves.... Our place in this world. Our purpose.
As we walk the paths of our lives, gathering pieces of our uniqueness as we go... we gain friends, we lose them, there are lost relationships and move out of our comfort zones... we take steps closer to God's plan for our lives.
Memories both good and bad remind us why and how we've come this far. Prayers whispere for friends living far and near, tears shed in lonliness and frustration.... these all form us into a stronger person.
As we go through these times in our lives, we begin to leave the beautiful tapestries of our lives. Friends, moments, pains, failures and successes are the colorful threads weaving into our lives.
Michael W. Smith wrote the song Place in this world and I love the words... it reflects the yearning that we all have to find belonging... take a listen.
Jeremiah 29:11 promises that we've been given a purpose and a place... that God means to bless us and prosper us... not harm us.
As we go through life, many things change our likes, our taste in music and fashion... we shape ourselves into who we want to be... who we see ourselves. But that is not all we are defined by... as we define who we are and who we want to be, what we want to be when you grow up... fix your eyes on the author and finisher of your faith...
If you're like me, you're still developing that list... but I do know these things for sure:
1. I am a daughter of the living God
2. I am loved no matter what
3. I have a purpose
I cling to Jeremiah 29:11 as I have my whole life, knowing that as I go through the growing pains (and there have been many), God's purpose is truly amazing and I have something to look forward to each day... true acceptance, a place where I belong and a purpose that drives me through this life to seek the face and presence of God each day when I rise.
As one hymn states, As the deer pants for the water, so my sould longs after you... chase after God and He will guide you to your place in this world... If you're searching for truth or a purpose to your life, take a look in the book of John... it's a good place to start.
Have a blessed day!
As we walk the paths of our lives, gathering pieces of our uniqueness as we go... we gain friends, we lose them, there are lost relationships and move out of our comfort zones... we take steps closer to God's plan for our lives.
Memories both good and bad remind us why and how we've come this far. Prayers whispere for friends living far and near, tears shed in lonliness and frustration.... these all form us into a stronger person.
As we go through these times in our lives, we begin to leave the beautiful tapestries of our lives. Friends, moments, pains, failures and successes are the colorful threads weaving into our lives.
Michael W. Smith wrote the song Place in this world and I love the words... it reflects the yearning that we all have to find belonging... take a listen.
Jeremiah 29:11 promises that we've been given a purpose and a place... that God means to bless us and prosper us... not harm us.
As we go through life, many things change our likes, our taste in music and fashion... we shape ourselves into who we want to be... who we see ourselves. But that is not all we are defined by... as we define who we are and who we want to be, what we want to be when you grow up... fix your eyes on the author and finisher of your faith...
If you're like me, you're still developing that list... but I do know these things for sure:
1. I am a daughter of the living God
2. I am loved no matter what
3. I have a purpose
I cling to Jeremiah 29:11 as I have my whole life, knowing that as I go through the growing pains (and there have been many), God's purpose is truly amazing and I have something to look forward to each day... true acceptance, a place where I belong and a purpose that drives me through this life to seek the face and presence of God each day when I rise.
As one hymn states, As the deer pants for the water, so my sould longs after you... chase after God and He will guide you to your place in this world... If you're searching for truth or a purpose to your life, take a look in the book of John... it's a good place to start.
Have a blessed day!
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Roots before Branches
I will be the first to admit that I love music... most music, there are a few exceptions, but that is not the point. While watching (and it slightly embarrasses me to say this) Glee this week, I came to the last episode of season three... one of the main characters, Rachel Barry, has graduated and is off to New York. It is not an altogether happy send off, and as she is boarding the train she is singing (in classic musical fashion). The song she sang struck a chord with me, as a lot of songs have... but the name of the song was Roots before Branches.
As I listened to the song, I could not help but think that is the main drive for us as humans. We put down roots so that we will grow, mature and flurish.
When I was younger and still living at home, my mom began a box garden. The boxes were built and filled with dirt and soil to help the plants flourish. Then my mom and I set out to plant some different types of flowers, herbs and other things... as I worked, I learned that ou can't just skim the surface of the dirt and put the flower there, you have to dig and put the roots underground so that they will flourish.
We can't just expect to mature and grow overnight without aiding that growth with knowledge, wisdom, understanding, empathy... things that are vital to sustaining our "roots".
When I was in college, I neglected my spiritual life... I did what I wanted, dated who I wanted and I began to yeild rotted fruit. I had a good front, but it was fake and mostly transparent. I transferred schools and started to get back to who I wanted to be, but still had weak roots. It wasn't until I moved to Nashville that I started to get things back in order. I started to attend a church where I was learning each week and starting to grow and mature. Each step I took toward God, strengthened the roots. I still have room for improvement, but who doesn't?
In light of Hurricane Sandy, and the various other storms that this country has faced in the last few years (Katrina, etc.)... it blows my mind when they show footage of the devistation and in the midst there is a tree that refused to fall... it makes me long for roots that are that deep and strong. If we have accepted Christ into our lives, we can have that... but maturity takes time. We need to read our Bibles, pray, seek God's will for our lives and fellowship with other Christians to mature and nurture the roots.
If we root our lives in the Word, we will be strong because God strengthens us... nothing will be impossible for us... and that is encouraging. In a country where Christians are becoming a minority, we have our work cut out for us... if we are rooted in the Word, we have hope.
Be encouraged today, stay rooted in God, and have faith... The Psalmist said it best in the first chapter of Psalms: Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers!
Develop your roots and the branches will begin to grow as you mature and strengthen your relationship with the One True God.
As I listened to the song, I could not help but think that is the main drive for us as humans. We put down roots so that we will grow, mature and flurish.
When I was younger and still living at home, my mom began a box garden. The boxes were built and filled with dirt and soil to help the plants flourish. Then my mom and I set out to plant some different types of flowers, herbs and other things... as I worked, I learned that ou can't just skim the surface of the dirt and put the flower there, you have to dig and put the roots underground so that they will flourish.
We can't just expect to mature and grow overnight without aiding that growth with knowledge, wisdom, understanding, empathy... things that are vital to sustaining our "roots".
When I was in college, I neglected my spiritual life... I did what I wanted, dated who I wanted and I began to yeild rotted fruit. I had a good front, but it was fake and mostly transparent. I transferred schools and started to get back to who I wanted to be, but still had weak roots. It wasn't until I moved to Nashville that I started to get things back in order. I started to attend a church where I was learning each week and starting to grow and mature. Each step I took toward God, strengthened the roots. I still have room for improvement, but who doesn't?
In light of Hurricane Sandy, and the various other storms that this country has faced in the last few years (Katrina, etc.)... it blows my mind when they show footage of the devistation and in the midst there is a tree that refused to fall... it makes me long for roots that are that deep and strong. If we have accepted Christ into our lives, we can have that... but maturity takes time. We need to read our Bibles, pray, seek God's will for our lives and fellowship with other Christians to mature and nurture the roots.
If we root our lives in the Word, we will be strong because God strengthens us... nothing will be impossible for us... and that is encouraging. In a country where Christians are becoming a minority, we have our work cut out for us... if we are rooted in the Word, we have hope.
Be encouraged today, stay rooted in God, and have faith... The Psalmist said it best in the first chapter of Psalms: Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers!
Develop your roots and the branches will begin to grow as you mature and strengthen your relationship with the One True God.
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Living with the Lost and Found
It's funny where inspiration can come from, and lately it's been fleeting, so I take what I can get. A friend of mine recently asked me to proofread a blog post for her and I was both stunned and inspired by her honesty. As I sat at work, thinking and mulling over the various projects I've started and have left lying around the house... the song Lost began playing and hit me. I know that the song is about a relationship... but there were a couple of lines that struck me: Cause you are not alone, I am there with you. The other was: When the world's crashing down
And you can not bear the cross I said, baby, you're not lost.
I will be the first to admit that I have been a little lost lately. I've been so busy trying to get aclimated to work and keeping up with housework that I've let other things slide... After the 31 days blog challenge, I felt a mixture of relief and sadness (why is it always a mixture?)... I was relieved to be out from under the pressure of producing a blog post every day, and I was sad that it was over. I was challenged each night to produce the post that I would then publish the next morning, it gave me a rush of excitement that I was actually living up to the challenge... Only 6 days into November and I feel a bit lost... confused, what to do next? I could be that winter is right around the corner, bringing with it dreary gray days, or that I've been sick these past few days... whatever the case may be, I've got three projects that I let fall by the wayside once I took this new job, first was my Bible study... after I finished editing the last of the sessions, I put the workbook on hold to refresh my brain and work on something else. The something else was a small book, like Stephen's Cars and Christianity, which can be purchased at www.carsandchristianity.com... (I know, shameless plug) except it focuses more on superheroes. Then God gave me the idea to rework the Jane Austen study and gear it to teenagers... but since about mid September, I haven't touched a single one... sure, I've played with research and ideas, but I've not been as dedicated as I should be.
This morning, I was reminded that I'm not alone and I'm not lost... 31 days was a learning experience that I am going to do again next year... but the time away from the projects was not wasted, I learned about myself, my writing and the some of the reasons why I write. Now that I am getting back on my feet after a weekend of sinus infections and head colds... I am determined to get back to these projects.
If you're lost or feeling alone this morning... know that you're not lost or alone... God is right there with us. We may be a little off course, but we are never too far that we can't turn around. We also know that we are never alone, in our darkest times, our lowest moments, God is right there beside us to help us along or even carry us... All we have to do is ask.
Have a great day today!
I will be the first to admit that I have been a little lost lately. I've been so busy trying to get aclimated to work and keeping up with housework that I've let other things slide... After the 31 days blog challenge, I felt a mixture of relief and sadness (why is it always a mixture?)... I was relieved to be out from under the pressure of producing a blog post every day, and I was sad that it was over. I was challenged each night to produce the post that I would then publish the next morning, it gave me a rush of excitement that I was actually living up to the challenge... Only 6 days into November and I feel a bit lost... confused, what to do next? I could be that winter is right around the corner, bringing with it dreary gray days, or that I've been sick these past few days... whatever the case may be, I've got three projects that I let fall by the wayside once I took this new job, first was my Bible study... after I finished editing the last of the sessions, I put the workbook on hold to refresh my brain and work on something else. The something else was a small book, like Stephen's Cars and Christianity, which can be purchased at www.carsandchristianity.com... (I know, shameless plug) except it focuses more on superheroes. Then God gave me the idea to rework the Jane Austen study and gear it to teenagers... but since about mid September, I haven't touched a single one... sure, I've played with research and ideas, but I've not been as dedicated as I should be.
This morning, I was reminded that I'm not alone and I'm not lost... 31 days was a learning experience that I am going to do again next year... but the time away from the projects was not wasted, I learned about myself, my writing and the some of the reasons why I write. Now that I am getting back on my feet after a weekend of sinus infections and head colds... I am determined to get back to these projects.
If you're lost or feeling alone this morning... know that you're not lost or alone... God is right there with us. We may be a little off course, but we are never too far that we can't turn around. We also know that we are never alone, in our darkest times, our lowest moments, God is right there beside us to help us along or even carry us... All we have to do is ask.
Have a great day today!
Friday, November 2, 2012
November... how time flies.
I feel like this year has rapidly passed me by... but I am not complaining, it has been a great year! I celebrated one year of marriage with my wonderful husband, finished my first Bible study, worked with Stephen and several friends to set up a non profit Ministry: Reminder Cross Ministries, and now as the holidays approach I become nostalgic as I do every year around Thanksgiving.
Psalm 118: 24 tells us: This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.
In this time of Thanksgiving, let's focus on the gratitude and roses in our lives. I have a friend who does a blog about roses and thorns on every Friday and I love that idea... when you have a bad week, we can always find at least one rose that seems to outshine the thorn that pricked our finger. I encourage you to check out her blog at: http://klynette.blogspot.com/
Have a great day!!!
Psalm 118: 24 tells us: This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.
In this time of Thanksgiving, let's focus on the gratitude and roses in our lives. I have a friend who does a blog about roses and thorns on every Friday and I love that idea... when you have a bad week, we can always find at least one rose that seems to outshine the thorn that pricked our finger. I encourage you to check out her blog at: http://klynette.blogspot.com/
Have a great day!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)