Christmas Joy On Christmas Eve

I've been reading through this book this season.

It was a gift from someone a few years ago and is full of Bible verses, stories, song lyrics, quotes, and interesting facts about Christmas.  It has been a treat to read!

I love the Christmas season.  Absolutely love it.  And one of the quotes from this book really captures how I feel about the celebration of our Savior's birth and the sheer wonder of it all.  I have read and reread it often.  It goes as follows...

"Christmas at its core is larger than life, grander than we can begin to comprehend.  We cannot even imagine the scenario - God, the Son, wrapping himself in human flesh and being born in a humble stable to parents of little worldly consequence.  Perhaps that's why Christmas never loses its wonder year after year.  The story simply cannot be taken in at once.  It takes a lifetime of Christmases, and even then we remain starstruck, still unable to understand fully what God has done for us, what He has given us.

This Christmas, hold nothing back.  Look up and hear the majestic angelic choir, look out into the night in search of the brilliant Christmas star.  Cherish every expression of Christmas love, joy, and peace - immersing yourself in the wonder if it all!  Don't worry about going overboard.  In a million lifetimes, you could not grow weary of it - it's a truly eternal story."

An eternal story it is.  Because it is about Jesus, the One who was and is and is to come.  And it is a truly joyful story - because Jesus is joy!  And He is hope, and peace, and rest, and laughter, and celebration, and sacrifice, and the ultimate love, and everything we could want or need.

I hope you allow yourself to fully enJOY the celebration and be completely captivated by the wonder!  Most of all, I hope you know Jesus, because He will change your life.

Wishing you a Merry Christmas, wherever you are!

May it be meaningful and merry and wrapped in love!

A Simple Thanksgiving

Together, we gathered and gave thanks.

Oh, give thanks to the Lord!

Call upon His name; 

Make known His deeds among the peoples!

Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;

Talk of all His wondrous works!

Glory in His holy name;

Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord!

Psalm 105:1-3

It was a simple, relaxing Thanksgiving this year - from the quiet, cold morning to the gorgeous, outdoor afternoon to the chilly, fireside night.

I have so much to be thankful for.  A Savior, Jesus, who gives me peace and hope and joy in a chaotic world; a husband who is my dearest and best and most faithful friend; children who add sparkle to our world and who are growing in their faith; a family who lovingly shares life with us; a small but sweet, supportive circle of friends; a caring church family and the freedom to worship; a cozy, comfortable home full of love; provision after provision; blessing upon blessing; gift after gift; grace upon grace.

Even the difficult things are reason to give thanks when I really stop to consider.  Yes, there have been circumstances that have been challenging and people who have been hurtful and personal failures and painful moments.  No, I wouldn't choose every trial, but I must acknowledge that they draw me closer to the heart of God and make me passionate for truth and driven to seek God's wisdom.  They make me stronger and more resolute in my relationship with Christ and with Christ-following friends.  They make me long for Heaven.  And I have full assurance of my home in Heaven, which alone is such a reason for gratitude.  Hope eternal.  Peace everlasting.  Glory awaiting!

Yes, we gave thanks on a beautiful November day.

And still we give thanks. Our hearts seek the Lord, and we rejoice!

Thanksgiving Morning

I set out this Thanksgiving break with a different goal than usual.  Because Thanksgiving is a bit later this year and we will only have three weeks of school between this break and Christmas break instead of four,  I decided I wanted to take down my beloved autumn decorations, do some cleaning and major catching up on laundry, and get my Christmas decorating done before Thanksgiving Day.  I don't think we've ever decorated for Christmas before Thanksgiving, but I must say I am so thankful we did it.

Because this Thanksgiving morning is so calm.  The house is (mostly) clean and sparkling, with lights aglow and wassail on the stove and quiet music playing.

We had a beautiful cold front come through and woke up to sunshine and brisk temperatures.  It won't be long before we gather around the table for a bountiful feast for lunch.  The day will be slow paced and spent with family.   This weekend will involve more time with family and friends and some Christmas celebrations.  Right now I am in my chair enjoying the music and twinkling lights and scent of oranges and cloves wafting in from the kitchen.  At 25 weeks pregnant, I am thankful to put my feet up for a few minutes and enjoy the simplicity of the moment, reflect and give thanks on day I love and look forward to each year, and rejoice in the beauty of a season that celebrates the birth of Savior who changed my life.

These lyrics just flooded my home and heart a few moments ago...

Christ is the Lord! Oh, praise His name forever!

His power and glory evermore proclaim!

What a thought for this gorgeous Thanksgiving morning.

Christ is the Lord! 

Today and every day we give Him honor, praise, and thanks.

Happy Thanksgiving Morning!  Wishing you a blessed and beautiful day!

These Things He Says

He's growing up on me, but he still says the most precious things.  He's always had a unique way with words, and often the adorable or profound will come out of nowhere.

Like two weeks ago when we were driving home from youth group.  Jimmy was in his car and the kids and I were making our way around the lake in our old van when out of the blue my son says, "I just love Daddy.  Mommy, you picked a good husband."

I had to agree.  I am ever so thankful for the man who leads our family on this journey. I appreciate more than ever his kindness, integrity, faithfulness, and unwavering love and commitment to God and our family.  I am beyond grateful for the godly husband and father his little eyes are watching.  I sure am glad I "picked" him ~ and that he picked me!  God has been so gracious.

Several weeks ago we had tucked in covers and said prayers and I had barely left the room when my little guy called me back in.  "What do you need?" I asked.  
"I just need to snuggle you because you're my mom.  And I want to snuggle
 God in my heart."

What he doesn't know is how tightly I want to hold on.  Or how thankful I am that he is in the grip of Grace.  Or how much I pray he will always cling to God with all his might, and "snuggle Him" forever in his heart.

I want to remember these things he says because no one says them quite like him.
He has a view of God and life and love all his own ~ it is unfiltered and pure and a breath of fresh air to my soul.

Paper Houses and Strong Foundations

This morning after a blissful rest...well, make that a rest interrupted by the beeping of a dying smoke alarm battery that had to be dealt with in the middle of the night (bless my husband's heart)...I was up earlier than I was hoping because of this tickly cough that loves early mornings.  I made a delicious cup of coffee (promptly spilling a good portion of it on my shirt) and settled in with the new Bible study I've been working through.

I'm sitting here now with a second cup, my shirt still smelling like hazlenut, pondering a passage in Luke from this morning's study that my husband and I were just talking about a few days ago.

The passage starts with these words of Jesus...

But why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do the things which I say? 
(Luke 6:46)

Wow.

Jesus goes on to compare a man who hears His words and does them to someone who builds a house by digging deep and laying his foundation on the rock.  When the heavy storms come through, they "could not shake" the house because of its firm foundation.

Then He compares a man who hears His words and does nothing to someone who builds a house right on the earth without a foundation.  When the storms came "immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great."

It is very easy for me to picture this scenario because we had our home built here in Florida a few years ago, and live in a newer neighborhood where homes are still going up.  We saw the very foundation of our home laid, and just this past week have been watching two more homes being built from the foundation up.  Florida's soil is very sandy, and in there is a stretch during the summer and early fall where thunderstorms come through nearly every afternoon.  Sometimes tropical storms and hurricanes can threaten.  I can't imagine building a home right on the sand without a strong, solid foundation.  Yet so many do this spiritually speaking.

My husband and I have been talking about a lot.  It's a genuine burden on our hearts. We see this epidemic where people want to "like God" as he says (call him Lord, Lord), but don't want to read and obey His Word or listen to godly counsel or wisdom. Life's storms come and they start sinking fast, then start grasping for the world's answers.  The world's answers don't work like they thought so they sink further.  God offers them all the wisdom they need but it will require some obedience.  On the other side of obedience there will be rich blessings, but often many are unwilling to even try things God's way. So they build what we call "paper houses" from what the world has to offer. They'll stand for a few minutes but the slightest breeze will knock them over. Without a strong foundation, those houses simply cannot stand. They will sadly experience great ruin when all the time there was another way.

Life is undoubtedly going to hold its storms.  The winds will surely blow.  We want our life and home to be built on the foundation of God and His Word, and we want that for everyone we know!  Because thanks to God we have victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!!!  Makes me think of this old song...

On Christ the solid rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand
All other ground is sinking sand.

This morning I am reminded of the importance of not just giving God lip service but building my whole life on Him. God, I pray this fervently for me and my family. 
Help us build our lives on you.  And friends, I encourage you to do the same!  It is a foundation like no other!  It is a foundation that offers peace and hope and joy and victory and a steadfast strength.

The rains came down and the floods came up
The rains came down and the floods came up
The rains came down and the floods came up
And the house on the rock stood firm!

First On My List

Trevor has always had a very unique way with words.  I know through the years I've shared many of his notable quotables that were either tender or hilariously funny.  He's always had his own little way of viewing the world and putting thoughts into words that I love, and I've often laughed at and learned from his one of a kind statements.

Monday night held one of his precious moments.  I had already tucked him into bed and settled in my green chair when he called me in for one more hug.  When I squeezed him tight I told him for the thousandth time that he is my favorite little boy in the whole wide world.

He responded with this Trevorism that I never want to forget.

"But God is first on your list, right?"

Oh, child.  Yes.  Yes, God is "first on my list," and He makes all the difference.  I would be hopeless apart from Him.  There is nothing like having your soul anchored on the Rock of Ages, your life and family built on that solid foundation.  Jimmy's and my greatest desire is that our children would make God the highest priority of their lives, that they would live each and every day for Him.

That He would be first on their list, as someone wise once said.

Trevor, I love you.  God has used you to change my life.  He really has.

Don't Let The Lights Go Down

Have you ever had a moment when God was so sweet to speak to you clearly about something just when you needed to hear His voice on the matter?

That happened to me this morning.

I've been doing a new Bible study and when I opened it up, the first passage it brought me to was Matthew 5:14-16.

You are the light of the world.  A city that is 

set on a hill cannot be hidden.  

Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.  

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father in Heaven.

It was a word from God that I needed to hear, and He knew it.  I sat there in awe of how well my Savior knows me.  How intimately acquainted He is with the details of my life and the issues of my heart.

You see, my heart longs to shine for Jesus. 

But I have realized something along the way.

Darkness always wants to extinguish light.

And this world has more than its share of darkness.

And there will always be something or someone who doesn't want us to shine our light.

But our Creator, the Lover of our soul, the Redeemer of our life wants us to shine brightly for His glory!!  He doesn't want us to hide our light.  He wants us to be a city on a hill, a light that points others to the Light that can change their life!

In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.

John 1:4

...Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone while he talked with Him.

Exodus 34:29

You see, when you've experienced a glimpse of God's glory, it cannot help but radiate!  So don't give in to the darkness that threatens to overtake you.  Don't give up when the darkness feels big and you feel small.  Shine on.  In the midst of darkness, shine as brightly as you can!  You are going to have to be brave.  You are going to have to find your courage.  But when you do, Christ will cut through the darkness and shine through you!

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

John 1:5

God blessed my heart this morning through His Word.  And He blessed my heart last week when I heard this song for the first time.

Don’t let the lights go down

Don’t let the fire burn out

Cause somewhere, somebody 

Needs a reason to believe.

Why don’t you rise up now?

Don’t be afraid to stand out

That’s how the lost get found.

Britt Nicole

Don't let the lights go down!

I know it's a dark world out there.

Let's find our courage.

Hold out our candles.

And let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

An Easter Letter To My Children

Dear Madi and Trev,

We blinked and it was spring and Easter Sunday arrived.  And yes, we dressed you in clothes spiffy enough for an egg roll on the White House lawn because there is just something timeless and special about little children dressed to the nines on Easter.

The day was breathtaking, and as I knelt by you and your Easter basket Trevor, I glanced up and saw God's majesty as morning broke over the palm trees and orange groves.

As we do every Sunday, we went to church as a family to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Each Sunday is a celebration of this victory - each day, really - but there is certainly always an excitement in the air on Easter Sunday morning.  I felt it as a child; I feel it now.

Your Paw Paw used to come in my room early every Easter morning and say, "He is risen!"  From under my covers and out of my sleep the first words I spoke each Easter were my response to him.  "He is risen, indeed!" When I grew up and moved away there was always an early morning phone call with this Easter morning greeting exchanged.  This year you two called him first, fresh out of bed with sleepy eyes and messy hair.  "He is risen!" "He is risen indeed!"  Amen and amen.

After church we ate lunch at Grammie and Paw Paw' house.  As usual there was family gathered, delicious food, and love in the details.  We are so blessed.

But the most special part of this Easter was that you both got new Bibles.  Madi, Daddy picked out a very special, beautiful Bible for you.  You had been wanting your own Bible since you got saved and baptized a few months ago.  This study Bible for little girls is just perfect for you, and your excitement about it was contagious.  You have been reading it, taking it to church, and even brought it to school to show it to your teacher!

How can a young person stay pure?

By obeying your word and following its rules.

Psalm 119:9

You have been sitting with Miss Marlene at church on Sunday evenings.  She takes notes in a journal, and you wanted to as well.  She got you your very own so you can take notes just like her.  You will one day understand what a gift it is to hide God's Word in your heart at a young age.  And you will also one day understand the gift of godly people to help guide you in the journey of faith.  I thank God for people like Miss Marlene in your life.

I have hidden your word in my heart,

that I might not sin against you.

Psalm 119:11

Trevor, Paw Paw and Grammie got you an Action Bible, full of the many exciting Bible stories laid out in a vivid format just perfect to help you understand them.  You are an action sort of guy, and I am excited to see the Bible come to life even more for you! You showed your Bible to everyone at lunch, and started reading the stories right away (especially the one about Samson and Delilah because you know it freaks your sister out).

Your Word is a lamp for my feet

and a light for my path.

Psalm 119:105

For the word of God is full of living power.

It is sharper than the sharpest knife, cutting deep 

into our innermost thoughts and desires.

It exposes us for what we really are.

Hebrews 4:12

You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood,

and they have given you the wisdom to receive salvation

that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus.

2 Timothy 3:15

The grass withers, and the flowers fade,

but the word of our God stands forever.

Isaiah 40:8

Your Daddy and I and your Paw Paw and Grammie promise to always teach you God's Word, and live out God's Word in our daily lives.  It is our source of authority. We believe it is truth and it is our joy to obey it!  There is true blessing in obedience and we pray that you will both read and learn and grow and obey God's word all the days of your lives because we want God's absolute best for you!  We love you more than any words could express.  You are God's greatest gifts to us.

Love,

Mommy