I wish this was my library. The shelves are filled with creaky, leather-covered, books. Books that one hopes are full of wisdom.
These are some of my real shelves. They are a bit of a jumble because I've been reorganizing. I've been gathering all the books I have from the ancient and medieval periods. Their covers are mostly mass-produced paperback, but their contents are as ancient as anything in the first picture. I have finally succeeded in creating a life where reading them is required. I thought my primary feeling would be guilty pleasure, but instead I am afraid. It's nonsense, but here I am, afraid. I've read books by authors who are considered particularly difficult and done well, but my reading has a certain flatness from years of only seeing what I was asked to see. I'm afraid I won't be able to read more deeply or that I'll see too much and lose my way.
Fears of this kind are like a ball glove on a fence post, meant to scare a child into staying in the yard. They are false and unkind. They must and will be out-grown. Life is too short to stay in the yard, so right here, right now, on this blog I adore, I promise to keep reading. The Ancient Mesopotamian Epic of Creation is next, and I shall go forward from there. God gave me the whole world, not some small corner to hide in. He will be with me everywhere I go.
I am really sick today. However, I am glad to be able to rest and recuperate at home. There is nothing like the comforts of soft blankets, hot drinks, and the freedom to curl up in a ball when you are sick. I appreciate greatly every small comfort when I don't feel well. I will appreciate greatly every aspect of feeling healthy again when and if it comes soon. I thank God for recuperation, for time away from the schedules, for quiet, even though it comes with feeling icky. The quiet is still beautiful.
There is beauty in the Silence
In between the breaths
A moment alone
As if Time Suspended
Will wait for me
Yes, all demands will wait
So I can Rest
For I must Stop
And simply exist
Taking into my weary soul
Time out of Time
Enough of important Nothing
Drinking into my weary soul
The beautiful kiss of the Silence
Yes folks, it is 3 days after Christmas. The tree is dry, ornaments are falling off. The kids are ready to go back to school on Monday, but there's New Year's in three days. Not until next week kids. People are still meandering around their houses in jammies and trying to get "Jingle Bells" out of their head. Leftover meat is eaten one last day then frozen for soup and casseroles. The once bustling malls are empty and starting to restock very depleted shelves. All the fought over primo gifts are gone and in the hands of people that have no idea what levels their loved one sunk to to get them that. Everyone is tired, everyone has gained three pounds in 2 days. The party is over and the revelers are pooped.
Today is my birthday.
I used to be a touch bitter about pairs of things for Christmas and birthday. About, "Well, Karen, it's such a big gift you got for Christmas it counts for today too." And about, "um, guys, it's my birthday today." Now, I truly can laugh about it. God grew me up. I truly am gateful to be here. My birth was really rough. I almost died. God breathed for me and gave me life. He has stood by me and loved me every day of my life. He always remembers. That is nothing short of a miracle. I also married a man who never forgets. So I await his waking, my gift to be given to me, and our date to be had. My mom will bake chocolate cake with chocolate icing and I'm alive and doing fine.
When I was a child my siblings and I would anxiously await the arrival of the Sears toy catalogue in the mail each year. We would pore over the pages and mark the items we thought we'd like to have with our initial. Over the years our methods of creating and sharing our wish lists have changed, but it's still something we do each year. Sometimes I would purchase something from a family member's wish list, and other years I would come up with an idea on my own. I never expected to receive everything that was on my wish list, but I always received at least a couple of the things I had asked for. My husband and I got married in August 2001, and a few months later I gave him my Christmas wish list. I thought it would be helpful for him to have a few suggestions of things I would like to have. That Christmas morning I was blown away by how many gifts were under our tree for me. As I began opening them, I discovered that my husband had bought me every single thing I had listed on my wish list - from a stock pot to ruby earrings. I felt incredibly loved and cherished, but I was also overwhelmed thinking about how much money he must have spent. I discovered that we had a miscommunication about the concept of a wish list. He had no idea I was only hoping to receive a couple of the things on my list. Because I am the one who pays our bills and manages our budget, he handed me all the receipts shortly after we exchanged our gifts. This only intensified my concern that he had spent far too much money.
As I shared what happened with a colleague at work who had been married for more than 20 years, she encouraged me to just enjoy it. She wisely predicted that this probably wouldn't happen in the future once we had kids. Her prediction was very accurate. The last few years I've received things like a new turtleneck or new dish towels from my husband at Christmas. If I could go back in time, I wish I had just given my husband a big hug and kiss and not said anything about how much he spent. I am not the only person who has had a similar response because I have heard others say things like "you shouldn't have" or "I don't deserve this" or "it's just too much" when receiving a gift. It often helps to put oneself in the other person's shoes. I doubt any of us would want to hear any of those statements in response to a gift we have given. We just hope the person will enjoy the gift and see that it is given in love. Ultimately we know that every gift that we receive is truly from our Heavenly Father who loves us more than we can possibly fathom. "All generous giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or the slightest hint of change." (James 1:17)
"Emmanuel: God With Us" by James Robert Kessler c05
"God. With. Us. God can't stay away. This is the love story that has been coming for you since the beginning. He is the God who is so for us that He can't stay away from us...He is the God who chooses to be with us. He comes as a baby because He is done with the barriers. He comes as a baby, the most vulnerable imaginable. Because He wants unimaginable intimacy with you."
~excerpt from The Greatest Gift by Ann Voskamp
Tomorrow night, Christmas Eve, Christians everywhere will begin formally celebrating of the birth of Christ. The hustle and bustle will still and slow as we gather together in our homes and churches to acknowledge the true reason for the season.
Following a Christmas Eve service that my husband's band, Longing For Eden is leading, I will be attending a Midnight Mass for the first time ever. Not knowing exactly what to expect, I was asking my husband for information and as we talked, he shared with me how much he was looking forward to attending again. Philip said that years ago, he had encountered God in such a powerful way during a Midnight Mass. He had recently accepted Jesus as his savior, but was struggling in this new walk. He said that they sang Hark The Herald Angels Sing, and when they came to the line "God and sinners reconciled" it struck him; the why of it all... God wanted relationship with us... with him! He said that he began to weep uncontrollably right in the middle of the service, and got a lot of strange looks, but he didn't care. God wanted him. God was pursuing him. God is pursuing you as well.
Ann Voskamp also said in The Greatest Gift: "Christmas is about God's doing whatever it takes to be with us--and our doing whatever it takes to be with Him. He climbed down from the throne in Heaven to get to you. Climb over the throes of Christmas to get to Him."
Balance is tricky. When the holidays come around, it's as if, one is on a beam that has a ball under it and they balance everything on their shoulders. Then someone places more items onto their shoulders. They now have more to balance, for a short while.
What is balance? Balance is when you go to work and have not forgotten important items. When your kids are fed and loved, but every whim isn't catered to. Your home is not perfectly neat, but dust bunnies aren't everywhere either. When your pets have food, water and love, but don't have more toys and a larger wardrobe, then most kids you know. When your budget meets your needs and any extra has a designated place to be. It would be nice if my life were like that always, but it isn't.
At holiday time, I have Christmas cards to sign, address & stamp, gifts to buy and wrap, decorations to put up, programs and dinners to be involved in, and attend. The list goes on. Life is a balancing act. Sometimes I fall off of the beam and land on my butt. I mean, I inadvertently forget to do this or that, cards aren't mailed, I'm late to an event, sleep is lost and I hold my morning coffee and pray, "thank you God for coffee, Your morning gift to me, bless You". No really, I've done that.
I have simply decided to enjoy the season, the best way I'm able. I watch an occasional Christmas program on TV with my family, then wrap the presents when commercials are on. I have been sick, instead of trying to cram baking into my schedule later, I didn't bake this year. Instead, I attended a local bake sale and bought items others made to support churches and local organizations. I didn't spend much more money then I would have, had I baked all items myself. This way no one will get my horrible cold/congestion, and those I normally take baked goods to, will not be neglected. I read the bible before I go to bed, even if it's only one verse. I am not decorating as much, but it's not forgotten. My home may not be perfect, but It isn't a disaster. I have determined to let the peace of God, grace our home and enjoy this time. May you all be blessed in this season of joy and balance.
Immanuel.... God is with us! We are quick to recognize the presence of God in our lives when everything is going right. But what about.....
When your cupboards are looking bare? .... Immanuel
When your daughter runs away from home? .... Immanuel
When the doctor gives you bad news? .... Immanuel
When you are waiting for your prayer to be answered? .... Immanuel
When you have to make a really hard choice? .... Immanuel
When you feel like you are all alone? .... Immanuel
When you bury someone you love? .... Immanuel
When you lose your job? .... Immanuel
When you second guess yourself? .... Immanuel
When your spouse doesn't love you anymore? .... Immanuel
When your son has an accident? .... Immanuel
When you have to speak before a judge? .... Immanuel
When you suffer abuse? .... Immanuel
When the unexpected arises? .... Immanuel
When you feel like a failure? .... Immanuel
When your mom is rushed to the hospital? .... Immanuel
When your heart is aching for your children? .... Immanuel
When hurtful things are said behind your back? .... Immanuel
When you don't know how you can face another day? ..... Immanuel
When the weight of this world brings you to your knees???
The promise of hope.... Immanuel.... God is with you!
I really enjoy working with kids. They are so interesting and fresh. Over the years I've worked with many fellow teachers, and it's become easier to spot the good ones. I knew Jimmy's teacher was special by the way she took responsibility for him when I dropped him off. Jimmy is not the biggest fan of sitting, but he always comes home full of what he learned. For this last lesson before Christmas, she made them Baby Jesus dolls. Jimmy is in love with his, and will not put it down. When big brother Peter found a scarf for the baby, Jimmy was so proud to show it off.
God, give me a heart that simple, filled with the joy of Christ. Help me to express my love in tangible ways as well as in the secret shelter of my soul. Amen.
Short of Breath
And Time
And Space
Now is when
I count on Grace
Pain still clings
To me like Glue
Try to start
But now I'm through
Help from all
Is from Above
Hoping for Relief
And Love
I'm cooked. This season has fried me. Stick a fork in it. On top of it all Ellanor got a head cold. Now, Ellanor's head colds always go strait to her lungs thanks to a nasty case of pneumonia inflamed RSV as a baby. That was an ER trip I'll never forget. My 9 month old just could not breathe on any level. She hurt. She vomited. She needed a nebulizer.
Our nebulizer saved Sarah's life many times. As the albuterol hit her lungs she could breath again. Thank goodness her life is no longer dotted with these scary asthmatic events. She has grown out of all symptoms. When Ellanor started making the same noises that day, we got to the dr on time. When Joey's croup cough was so bad he could not breathe, Sarah's albuterol and the familiar buzz saved the day and the panic subsided in his eyes. From my perspective, the fish face mask and lung opening steroids racing to the scene are the very tools God used to save all three of my babies from suffering and potentially death.
For the children in question, the nebulizer is something else entirely. I'm fairly certain when they hear the words, "breathing treatment," they start thinking that I am part of a child hating organization that forces kids to suck in stinky air. While they are wheezing, hacking, screaming, and kicking me, I must forcibly hold them down while soothing saying it will be all over soon. All they have to do is sit there and breathe. Litereally. Just SIT THERE!! They ache, they are scared and the relief that is coming makes them more scared.
This reminded me of me. How many times has God said to me, "Hey you, my daughter, I know how to fix this if you let me. All you have to do is sit there and just breathe. I'll do the work. It is what I do best." How many times have I said, "It can't be that easy! I'm going to run around uselessly trying to fix it myself!" All the while making the situation worse. In this crazy season with the demands
of seasonal angst, Christmas presents that came broken in the mail, Holiday Day pageants that celebrate next to nothing, and a sick
preschoolers, I am still trying to harbor the familiar, giddy excitement.
Jesus is coming. And like the medicine that soothes my daughter's lungs, He can fix it. He can make it better. All we have to do, is let Him.
Around the end of October, a friend of mine named Jenn found out that she was expecting her fifth child. This pregnancy came as a complete surprise, and at her first prenatal appointment she was told she was already half-way through her pregnancy. Her four children, who are between the ages of ten and seventeen, were thrilled to learn that their mom would be having another baby! In November she learned that her unborn daughter, whom the children named Quinn Elizabeth, has Trisomy 18, which means that she will have an extremely short life expectancy. Another friend of mine gave birth to a girl with Trisomy 18 about seven years ago, and her daughter only lived for two days. Although I've experienced an ectopic pregnancy and two other miscarriages, I cannot even begin to imagine what it must be like to carry a baby within your womb with the knowledge that she will probably be headed to Heaven very soon after birth. A few weeks ago, Jenn wrote on Facebook, "We do not know how much time we will have with her. It is in God's hands, and He is totally in control of the situation. God made this baby for a reason. There is a purpose for her life, no matter how long or short it may be." I would ask for prayer for Jenn, her husband, her four children, and Quinn. I am so grateful that they are believers who can lean on the Lord for strength and comfort.
The lists are everywhere
Especially this time of year
I have one or two running myself
What we need, what we want, and who wants what
We strive to get it right, to choose the perfect gift to give
Then you find that person
The one who needs something you cannot check off your list in a matter of minutes
Or days, even weeks
Maybe they need a job to provide for their family
Maybe they need wisdom and guidance for their future that lies ahead
Or doctors to have answers, or a cure, or a clue
Maybe they simply have never met, or been introduced to your very best friend
Jesus
Breathe deep
Slow down enough to listen to Him
Drawing you to Him, and to them who need to see Him
In the midst of the chaos and hurt
Bring forth the glory of His love to all
We all need Jesus
You
Me
All
I am sitting in my cozy little grotto of a home surrounded by the beautiful mayhem of grandchildren; one laughing and squealing as she helps me dig through my Christmas ornaments and decorate the tree, the other wailing inconsolably because he isn't feeling well. This weekend has been a whirlwind of activity, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
I am a blessed woman. For years I have worked with the elderly, and been asked by countless little ladies how many children I have. I always smiled and told them, "I heard that grandchildren are more fun, so I am planning to have them instead. I haven't figured out the logistics yet, but when I do, I will let you know." I never did have any children of my own, but when I married Philip, I immediately acquired three grown step-children, two grandchildren, and over the past two years have added two more grandchildren. I have so enjoyed building relationships with each of them (children and grandchildren alike), and pray that what is built will speak to each one of grace and love and Jesus.
Here it is, my biggest pet peeve at Christmas. I hate to see Wise Men in a manger scene. If you have never read the story of Christmas in the bible, then you probably think The Wise Men came when Jesus was a baby. Not even close. The star shown down when Jesus was born, but travel back then, took much longer to get from point A to B. So, Jesus was about two years old, when The Wise Men finally arrived.
You say, but in the book of Matthew, Jesus birth is right next to the arrival of The Wise Men. So get over it already! The problem was, Herod didn't get over it. Herod's solution to another king being born, was to kill him. Since The Wise Men didn't tell Herod where to find Jesus, Herod had every boy two years and under in that entire region killed, in an effort to kill Jesus.
Think about this. You have one or more sons, under two years old. Male children mean, your family has someone to carry on the family name, provide if the husband becomes ill or unable to work, keep the land/home in the family, and care for aging parents. There weren't any nursing homes, Social Security benefits, workers compensation benefits, Aflac insurance, or life insurance policies. Also, women didn't generally own land, so they could be kicked out without a son, if their husband died. Now, take all that into consideration, as you ponder this. A soldier, comes to your home and rips your son, or sons away from you, then kills him before your eyes. Mathew 2:18 says “A voice was heard in Ramah, Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, Refusing to be comforted, Because they are no more.”
So now, how many children may not have died, if The Wise Men had come when Jesus was a baby, instead of two years old? When looking at the whole story, details really do matter. I'm sure those parents who were deprived of their children, didn't easily get over it, so why should I?
When you make your best effort, but still fall short
When the pain of your choice leaves a scar
When you can't find the words to offer a prayer
When you begin to forget who you are
When things that were little become so big
That you feel like you've lost all control
When the weight in your chest is your own heavy heart
And you fear it will crush your soul
When you're battered and worn from the struggle
When you have no strength left to fight
And the only song you have left to sing
Is the tears on your pillow at night
Remember that these are passing moments
Remember that this day will end
Remember tomorrow the sun will rise
Then remember to hope again......
.......For as long as there is breath
There is a chance for God to move
Santa is an icon of love, and one of my favorite parts of the Christmas season. There is, however, one part of his schtick where he gets it wrong--the naughty list. Causing dread in children for generations, the lump of coal is an effective motivator on those days when extra sugar means extra naughtiness. I think Santa starts moving into behavioral modification, but I'm not here to quibble with North Pole policies.
I'm here to remind you that Christmas is no time for your naughty list. Christmas, like heat on a grease stain, brings the bad memories out of hiding. Your personal list of the coal-worthy is mixed right in with the Christmas gift swap list. The temptation is to have your say, but the opportunity is to forgive. Some folks deserve worse than coal and no inspirational sugar-coating can make you feel differently. You don't have to feel differently, but you do have to forgive. Withholding forgiveness means no matter how certain your brain is that you're right, your heart remembers you're wrong. It can wreck your Christmas, not to mention put you on the naughty list.
 | |
| Image from: http://www.kvisoft.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Christmas-Gift.jpg |
Your Best
Gift
Couldn’t be
wrapped
You didn’t
even know you wanted it
A Perfect
Life,
Given for
you
Eternity,
encased within
A Child
God Knew
His Only Son
And nothing
else would do
Love said, “Yes”
The Great I
Am said, “I Will.”
And It Is
Finished
Your Gift
has already been Given
Perfect,
Complete, and Everlasting
All you have
to do is accept
The best
Gift
It’s what
you always Wanted
Forever
Late last night Nicole posted about an outpouring of love that had happened in her life. The words touched me so much they made me cry. This is what love looks like. This is what it is. I'm in multiple Bible studies. Whenever two or sources of truth say the same things, I sit up and take notice. This week the theme of my a fore mentioned Advent Bible study, is love. Love that God had for us. Love we are to have for each other.
When I opened my Bible this morning the verse was Mark 12:30. Jesus is asked the Greatest commandment. He responds, "Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your soul, and with all your strength. The second is Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these."
My first response is to say that I can't love like that. It is like God to command us to do something that only He can do in our hearts. He must be the one to teach us how to love as he does. If anything, this week has shown me my love is incomplete, easily misunderstood, and not enough to fix things. But God's love. Now. THAT is perfection.
I know that I'm called to try. I'm called to do my best. I'm called to give God what I have and let him take on the rest. He will complete, clarify, and fix anything that does not compute. I need him to do this work in my heart and in my life.
I was young and a bit lost so many years ago
She opened her home and her heart to me
I stood by and watched as she humbly demonstrated what love looks like
What it looks like in the midst of an insane and lost world
How to care for a home and a husband, and even small little ones
She could have turned me away, assuming I was a lost cause
But she showed Christ to this broken girl, and it made such an impact
So, tonight, as she opened her home again to me
We shared a meal
Our husbands talked
Our children played
I saw her heart once again
Reaching out to a sister, and a friend
As my home is filled each week with girls like myself each week
Sometimes lost
sometimes broken
sometimes hungry for Christ
I look forward to a night such as this
When they may return to my open home
With their children in toe, and husband who fears the Lord
And see once again my heart for the Lord and for His people
When asked if they have any prayer requests they want to share, many mention things related to either an illness (ex. a relative has cancer) or a financial situation (ex. husband needs a job). God is certainly our Provider (Jehovah Jireh) and our Healer (Jehovah Rapha). He wants us to lay these burdens at His feet. Yet, I think we can learn something through studying the prayers Paul recorded in his letters. His prayers focused on spiritual needs. God certainly cares about our physical circumstances, but He cares far more about our spiritual growth. Lately I have been trying to include more spiritual requests in my prayers for myself, my children, my husband, my children's future spouses, other relatives, and friends. The next time I'm in a ladies Bible study and the prayer list is passed around, I plan to write down some spiritual needs that are on my heart. Maybe part of the reason we tend to focus our prayers on physical requests is because it is easier to see when they have been answered. Spiritual growth is often gradual and not something one can check off and declare accomplished until we are in Heaven with our Savior. Also with some spiritual requests, such as salvation, sometimes we have to wait years before our prayers are answered. May we be persistent and fervently keep petitioning our Father to draw our loved ones to Himself.
"that your love may abound even more and more in knowledge and every kind of insight so that you can decide what is best, and thus be sincere and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God" (Phil. 1:9-11)
"have not ceased praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may live worthily of the Lord and please him in all respects—bearing fruit in every good deed, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might for the display of all patience and steadfastness" (Col. 1:9-11)
"I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you spiritual wisdom and revelation in your growing knowledge of him, —since the eyes of your heart have been enlightened—so that you may know what is the hope of his calling, what is the wealth of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the incomparable greatness of his power toward us who believe, as displayed in the exercise of his immense strength" (Ephesians 1:17-19)
Last week was Thanksgiving, and the social media sites were overrun with gratitude posts. The week before Thanksgiving, one of the sites that exists to encourage us in our marriages had posted a challenge for us wives to take that week leading up to Thanksgiving and daily write down 7 things that you were grateful for regarding your husband. If you followed the instructions, you ended up with a list of 50 things! I sent the post to the leader of our ladies Bible study group, who passed the challenge on to the group. She also challenged her four sons to come up with two things for each of their siblings each day. I'm not sure if anyone other than her and I actually took up the challenge, but I found that when I started thinking about it and writing things down, more things would pop into my head, and I actually ended up with more than 50, and new things come to me every day. The Word says to meditate on those things which are true, noble, just, lovely, and of good report. I found this to be a good way to focus on the positive things, and I think that it is helpful, especially in a society that tends toward the negative. So, I would like to challenge you to come up with one thing every day that you are thankful for about your spouse. Think of those attributes that attracted you to him/her in the beginning. None of us are perfect, but when we focus on the positive, I believe it can help to keep our attitudes toward them more positive.
I have an attic that is dark & creepy.
It usually has a bunch of bugs flying around and dead ones to clean up. It has a
half turn stair case, that is not exactly wide and easy to move
up & down in. Also, at the top of said, small windy dark
staircase, is a large beam, right as you try to stand up at the top. The
attic is short in height. So unless you are a three foot tall person,
it's very likely to hit ones head.
I
was cleaning out one of our extra rooms, I simply had not taken the
time to organize & clean since our move last year. I put some of the
items into the attic. Our Christmas decorations were up there. Therefore,
after taking storage things up, I would bring Christmas items down.
So there I was hunched over with little light to see, while carrying heavy
containers full of breakable things, and I misjudged the distance from my head to the beam. I hit my head three times on that beam. The last time I
almost knocked myself out, because I was so eager to get out of the attic.
Sometimes
we do the same thing with God. We are put into a place, with a person
or set of circumstances, we don't like. We do what it is God has for us
to do, then run out as soon as we can, banging our head as we go. We
don't take the time to crouch down just a bit more, then look down, to realize God has placed in our hands as a blessing.
Therefore, we are in pain,
instead of sweet release & joyful fulfillment having accomplished our task, while receiving a blessing, as we leave.
Life in Christ may have dark, creepy things in it, and laborious tasks to fulfill. In these times it helps to keep in mind, Philippians 4:13, I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me. Compared to the world and it's troubles, fulfilling God's tasks are way better, because as Jesus explains, "For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:30. Don't miss the point of the bothersome things required by God, you may also miss your blessing and make your head hurt too.
Life in Christ may have dark, creepy things in it, and laborious tasks to fulfill. In these times it helps to keep in mind, Philippians 4:13, I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me. Compared to the world and it's troubles, fulfilling God's tasks are way better, because as Jesus explains, "For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:30. Don't miss the point of the bothersome things required by God, you may also miss your blessing and make your head hurt too.
I have been bombarded these past few days.... So....
Roses are red
Limburger stinks
I'll fix this tomorrow
When I can thinks!
The great thing about the holidays is all the extra energy floating around. Heroic feats of baking, entertaining, shopping and crafting become possible in this short window of time, things that any other time of the year would require a extended loan of energy from who-knows-where-else to accomplish. It's great, except when it isn't.
Emotionally everybody runs on alternating current, we alternate between the positive and the negative. I'm not knocking the negative, because it often brings great insight and needed balance to our lives, but when adult realities bump into childhood's pure joy, it is easy to be pulled into a negative energy vortex. The thing about memories is that they change as we grow. What happened in space time at that particular point doesn't change, but the way we understand what happened does. The happiest moments in our lives collide with our now adult understanding of life, and many people decide they are incompatible. "Christmas is for children," weary grown-ups say.
My key to avoiding those feelings is to focus on the place where I am still a child and always will be a child as far as I know. No, I don't mean my inner child. I mean every part of me that there is, is a child in the House of God. In His House I can have a good cry over my wounds and it is reasonable to expect a band-aid and a kiss. In His House I can rejoice and give praise at whatever level I'm at and know that it will be received for what it truly is. In His House, all my best efforts make the fridge.
Allowing the Holy Spirit to guide and guard can help you celebrate with a child's joy and a grown-up's wisdom.
When God
moves
We are
astounded
After
wondering When
Whispering
If
We stand
aback
Drop our
jaws
Astounded
that He
Indeed,
Remembers us
He must be
shaking His Head,
“Why are you
so surprised, My child?”
Rejoice! For
He
Remembers
you
For whom He
died!
Yet, be
Amazed
Still, for
the Sight
Is
Incredible
When God
Moves
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