IOW: Contentment, or How God Teaches Patience

“If monotony tries me, and I cannot stand drudgery;
if stupid people fret me and little ruffles set me on edge;
if I make much of the trifles of life,
then I know nothing of Calvary love.
Amy Carmichael, If: What Do I Know of Calvary Love?

Patience: the capacity, habit, or fact of being patient... (according to Merriam-Webster)

Patient 1: bearing pains or trials calmly or without complaint...

I remember thinking about my short temper as an older teenager and praying for patience. Less than ten years from that prayer, I was the mother of three children ages 5, 3, and newborn. So I prayed more...

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you  may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. (2 Peter 1:3-4 NIV)

Patient 2: manifesting forbearance under provocation or strain...

My husband joined US Air Force Recruiting while I was pregnant with baby number 2--baby number 1 was only 20 months old. We began a life of packing, moving to a new abode, unpacking, and trying to keep a normal life...every 2-1/2 to 3 years. My patience was sorely tested throughout those years and many times I failed my tests miserably. In fact, I developed a level of harshness to my interactions with my kids and husband when I was annoyed.

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge. (2 Peter 1:5 NIV)

Patient 3: not hasty or impetuous...

Eventually the preschooler, toddler, and infant years ended. Those kids grew like weeds and suddenly I was parenting 2 teens and a middle-schooler. At this point in my husband's Air Force career, I felt I was parenting all alone as he was away two weeks at a time, with only short periods at home. At my husband's last duty station, he was gone 33 times in 21 months. I coped by bouncing between being the kids best friend and being overbearing, trying to maintain some semblance of control.

And to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness. (2 Peter 1:6 NIV)

Patient 4: steadfast despite opposition, difficulty, or adversity...

All the while life was moving along with some measure of peace. I studied my Bible, read book after book on being a woman of God. Sometimes I succeeded, especially during several severe trials. When those trials came up I felt the Lord right along side me.

And to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. (2 Peter 1:7 NIV)

Patient 5: able or willing to bear...

I have developed a great appreciation for the love of God through the years of watching my family grow. He shows patience with my frailties and strengthens me to be available to stand firmly in Him. His patience with me has taught me patience with others. Not that I always demonstrate what I have learned. And when I reminded, He sends a new test...

For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:8 NIV)

Patient (Persistent) 6: continuing despite difficulties, opposition, or discouragement...

Our kids are grown and we have been blessed with a rambunctious grandson. And to prove 1) either I didn't learn what I needed to the first go-around, or 2) God has a huge sense of humor, I have been raising that little guy since last August 24 hours a day during the week. My only relief comes when his mother is home on the weekends. And amazingly enough, I am having to learn to ignore all the things that set me off the first time around and try to show love in everything I do. Evidently I didn't quite score high enough on those tests...or I'm working on my Master's degree in the applied science of Christian Love.

So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have. (1 Peter 1:12 NIV)

God is Good. Life is Sweet. Share the Love.

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IOW: Contentment, or How God Teaches Patience

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"Nana, For a Girl..."

I have plenty of gardening chores waiting my attention on Morning Glory Farm. This morning I tackled cutting down the seed pods I'd left all winter in my perennial border. The Dynamo was helping me clean up the clippings plus some branches that blew down from our ancient Box Elder tree. When he found a particularly large branch he rolled the hand truck over and placed the branch on it and rolled it to his wagon where we were stacking our debris. He asked his trademark question, "Can I get a little help here?"

I leaned over and took one end of the 3-foot-long branch. He took the other end. As we carried it, he looked at me in admiration and said, "Nana, for a girl, you're pretty strong." I started laughing at the obvious distinction this preschooler has already made between boys and girls. 

How does a boy come to the realization that females are the fairer sex? I don't remember ever telling him boys are physiologically stronger than girls. At his age, muscle development is about equal between the genders. 

I am not a weak person...just yesterday I helped Mr. Amazing move the A-frame for my swing to a new place around which I plan a garden. It is made of 2"x4"x8' landscaping timbers. It was no light task to lift and move it. I can carry anything I need to as long as it's a good day for my back...even that precocious 5-year-old!

As a mother of two girls who was raised by a very strong always-in-charge male parent, I was careful to not ever let the girls feel that there were any limits on things they want to do as long as they are willing to put forth the effort. I don't want them to loose their femininity, but I also want them to be confident in the gifts God has given them. Because of this I am careful to avoid saying that certain things are girls' or boys' jobs. 'Cept for taking out the trash. The guys get this job-not because I can't but because I would rather not do it.

One thing I have noticed is the tendency of the Dynamo to play games where he is the hero...the best at climbing, or riding his bike, or digging in the garden, or carrying big sticks. Thinking back, it is easy to remember how my son was the same way as the Dynamo when he was a little boy. One of my favorite pictures of the now-Marine is as a 2-year-old helping his dad carry a very heavy box containing our tent to a campsite. The little guy was tough! And strong! See him standing guard over the campsite...>>>

My conclusion to the question of how the Dynamo knows there is a difference between boys and girls other than the obvious is this: the Creator placed within each male the desire to be a protector. There can be no protector without someone who needs protecting. Regardless of what popular secular thought would have us believe, men are built differently than women with greater muscle mass. The difference is not random. It is God's plan that healthy men rely on their physical strength to care for their families.

Today's politically correct attitude that there are no differences has just about destroyed the drive of young men to step into their God-given roles as provider, protector, and spiritual head of their families. My adult daughters can attest to the fact that the selection of men who can be respected as men of integrity is slim. What a shame! 

For more on the topic of society's role in the degradation of male integrity, see this article I wrote for our local newspaper a few years ago: Raising Men of Honor.

Husbands, go all out in your love for your wives, exactly as Christ did for the church—a love marked by giving, not getting. Christ's love makes the church whole. His words evoke her beauty. Everything he does and says is designed to bring the best out of her, dressing her in dazzling white silk, radiant with holiness. And that is how husbands ought to love their wives. They're really doing themselves a favor—since they're already "one" in marriage.

No one abuses his own body, does he? No, he feeds and pampers it. That's how Christ treats us, the church, since we are part of his body. And this is why a man leaves father and mother and cherishes his wife. No longer two, they become "one flesh." This is a huge mystery, and I don't pretend to understand it all. What is clearest to me is the way Christ treats the church. And this provides a good picture of how each husband is to treat his wife, loving himself in loving her, and how each wife is to honor her husband. (Ephesians 5:25-33 MSG)

"Nana, For a Girl..."

https://typingone-handed.blogspot.com/2010/03/nana-for-girl.html

Living Free...To Worship

I am free to run
I am free to dance
I am free to live for You
I am free

The Newsboys -- I Am Free

A few weeks ago I attended a Sunday morning service in a little country church where the sweet spirit of worship permeated the whole building. The joy of that one hour carried me through the next week, helping me be mindful to worship daily. There is great freedom in joining together to praise God without restraint.

I knew when we decided to go that was how worshiping with this particular congregation would be. While I am sure they are no different from the typical Bible-teaching church in most aspects, they hold close the words of Jesus:

"If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels." (Luke 9:26 NIV)

For this group of Christ-bearers, to sit reserved and silent in church is an affront to the One who gave all for their freedom from sin and to be able to gather in His name. So Sunday morning worship is a celebration full of singing, praising, and testifying to the greatness of our God.  

Continue reading at Take Root and Write: Choosing Life Everyday!...>>

Living Free...To Worship

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Choosing to Rest in the Father Everyday

"Be still and know that I am God (Psalm 46:10a NKJV)."

A child develops a chronic illness...

A spouse decides to pursue another relationship and leaves us alone...

How are we deal with the problems that come into life? Do we rage and stomp at the unfairness of it all? Do we weep and retreat into ourselves to hide?

"God is our refuge and strength; a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though its waters roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with its swelling (Psalm 46:1-3 NKJV)."

Psalm 46 is a song for us to sing during times of trouble. We can be so caught in the trouble of the day that we see no way of escaping the stress and pain. If we don't quiet ourselves when the trouble comes, if we just focus on the immediate pain, we can't hear or feel the comfort God has for us.

"There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High. God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn. The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved; He uttered His voice, the earth melted (Psalm 46:4-6 NKJV).

We do not have to suffer alone. Jesus did that for us when He suffered alone on the cross. That was the only time in all of eternity that He experienced complete separation from His Father. After He rose from the grave and ascended to heaven, He left us a Comforter, the Holy Spirit. He is the still small voice that speaks comfort when our hearts are crushed. He is the still small voice that warns us not to make the wrong choices in response to trouble. He is the groaning too deep for words that cries out to the Father...

Continue reading at Take Root and Write: Choosing Life Everyday!...>>

Choosing to Rest in the Father Everyday

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IOW: Grace, Because of Who He Is

I am your hostess today. Please share with us.

Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person. Colossians 4:6

Quote from What's So Amazing About Grace?

One who has been touched by grace will no longer look on those who stray as 'those evil people' or 'those poor people who need our help.' Nor must we search for signs of 'loveworthiness.' Grace teaches us that God loves because of who God is, not because of who we are.

~Philip Yancey~

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23

Do we truly understand what grace is?

Whose death?

Can we wrap our minds around just what it cost for us to claim the name 'Christ-bearer'?

He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf,
so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:21

If we completely accept that a holy God loves us enough to give His beloved Son to die for the sins we have committed...will commit... Do we really believe we have the right to judge the worthiness of another?

Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act...
He...said to them, "He who is without sin among you,
let him be the first to throw a stone at her...
Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?" She said, "No one, Lord."
And Jesus said, ^"I do not condemn you, either Go. From now on sin no more." John 8:4, 7 10-11

Of all the books on my bookshelf, I seem to pick up Philip Yancey's book over and over. I get choked up reading it. There is a chapter called 'Grace-Healed Eyes' that discusses his friendship with a man who after years of knowing each other and being close friends, admitted to being a homosexual. This chapter peels away the layers of controversy over the subject of immorality and reveals the deep pain of rejection that man lives with. At the end of the chapter, Yancey quotes Helmut Thielicke (1908-1986), a German Protestant theologian. In trying to get my mind around the concept of true grace, I am both awed and bewilderingly grateful that the King of Heaven loves me:

When Jesus loved a guilt-laden person and helped him, He saw in him an erring child of God. He saw in him a human being whom His Father loved and grieved over because he was going wrong. He saw him as God originally designed and meant him to be, and therefore He saw through the surface layer of grime and dirt to the real man underneath. Jesus did not identify the person with his sin, but rather saw in this sin something alien, something that did not belong to him, something that chained and mastered him and from with He would free him and bring him back to his real self. Jesus was able to love men because He loved them right through the layer of mud.

This is why...

Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross... Hebrews 12:2

We have been touched by grace...

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything,
but faith working through love. Galatians 5:6

Can we also reach out to touch the weary and suffering ones with that very same grace, paying no regard for the differences we encounter?

But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus,
in the same way as they also are. Acts 15:11

Grace Defined:

a. the freely given, unmerited favor and love of God.
b. the influence or spirit of God operating in humans to regenerate or strengthen them.

But where sin increased, grace abounded all the more... Romans 5:20

Father of our Lord, Lover of my soul... Help me to see each person with love as the person You intended each one to be. Thank you for the grace that makes my life beautiful in any circumstance. Please make my life a blessing to others and a sweet savor to You. Amen.

For more information on In Other Words, visit Loni at Writing Canvas.

IOW: Grace, Because of Who He Is

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Friday Funnies: Jeanne Robertson-Don't Bungee Jump Naked

On your feet now—applaud God! Bring a gift of laughter, sing yourselves into his presence.
~Psalm 100:1 MSG~

Oh, Friends...

After watching this on gal pal Jenn Harpole's Facebook status, I had to wipe my eyes three or four times just to be able to click over to YouTube to get the link info...

Grab some tissues... Oh, and wait to watch till after the baby wakes up. She won't sleep through your gut-busting laughter...





Kim @ Homesteader's Heart hosts Friday Funnies. Visit her for more chuckles and to share yours.

Friday Funnies: Jeanne Robertson-Don't Bungee Jump Naked

https://typingone-handed.blogspot.com/2010/02/friday-funnies-jeanne-robertson-dont.html

In Other Words: Finding Your True Smile

So with a painted grin,
I play the part again,
So everyone will see me
the way that I see them...
Are we happy plastic people,
under shiny plastic steeples,
With walls around our weakness
and smiles to hid our pain,
But if the invitation's open,
to every heart that has been broken,
Maybe then we'll close the curtain
on our stained glass masquerade...

~Casting Crowns in Stained Glass Masquerade~

Once upon a time, in a trailer park far away, a little girl stood waiting for a church bus to take her to Sunday school. She shifted excitedly from foot to foot and even skipped in circles a bit, unable to contain her excitement at getting to see the kind, smiling faces of the church lady and man who taught her class about Love with cookies and juice and flannel pictures of that Jesus guy.

The years passed quickly...different places and yet the smiling faces of the church ladies and men all seemed familiar.

Finally the girl was grown with her own little bundles of enthusiasm bouncing and running in excited circles in anticipation of cookies, juice, and flannel pictures of that Jesus guy while she tried to bathe and dress them and get them to Sunday school.

Slowly life started sapping her own enthusiasm...

...responsibilities...
...disappointments...
...bone-weariness...

Her smiles became harder to find. Still she pasted them on Sunday after Sunday.

Until one day...

She saw her reflection.

The familiar smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. She was reminded of other church ladies and men she'd met over the years, some she knew now...

The ones whose smiles eventually stopped at their lips.

O my God, I cry by day, but You do not answer;
And by night, but I have no rest. ~Psalm 22:2

She mourned the loss of her joy smile, the one that comes from deep inside, bubbling up uncontrollable from head to toe.

To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul. ~Psalm 25:1

In her sadness she opened the Book of God-words. and she read...

To You, O Lord, I call;
My rock, do not be deaf to me. ~Psalm 28:1

and read...

In You, O Lord, I have taken refuge;
Let me never be ashamed;
In Your righteousness deliver me.
Incline Your ear to me, rescue me quickly;
Be to me a rock of strength,
A stronghold to save me. ~Psalm 31:1-2

and read...

How blessed is [she] whose transgression is forgiven,
Whose sin is covered!
How blessed is the [woman] to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity,
And in whose spirit there is no deceit! ~Psalm 32:1-2

She sighed in relief, tiredness slowly draining away.

For our heart rejoices in Him,
Because we trust in His holy name. ~Psalm 33:21

Sometimes the effort to smile is still too much but the girl now first turns to the God-words because she discovered they are the source of the smiles and that Love she felt in the church so long ago.

O taste and see that the Lord is good;
How blessed is the [woman] who takes refuge in Him! ~Psalm 34:8

~~~~~

The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous
And His ears are open to their cry. ~Psalm 34:15

~~~~~

The Lord is near the brokenhearted
And saves those who are crushed in spirit. ~Psalm 34:18

~~~~~

The Lord redeems the soul of His servants,
And none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned. ~Psalm 34:22

In Other Words is being hosted by Loni at Writing Canvas. Please visit to read more and to post your own take on today's quote.

In Other Words: Finding Your True Smile

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Choosing to Be Disciplined Everyday

"The road to life is a disciplined life; ignore correction and you're lost for good." (Proverbs 10:17 MSG)

I am an emotional eater. I am also a bored and thoughtless eater. When I am sad, I choose foods high in carbohydrates like chocolate, potato chips, and ice cream. When I watch TV or need other entertainment, I choose cheese and crackers, popcorn, and more chocolate.

There is nothing wrong with any of these foods in and of themselves. Eaten in small portions once in a while they are fine.

Failing To Be Disciplined

Cold weather and family issues gave me a one-two punch that knocked me right out of my healthy eating program. When I was actively engaged in healthy eating practices, I lost 12 lbs and dropped my cholesterol level 17 points.

My emotional eating for the past few months has made my climb back to fitness into a backward slide down a steep hill. Although I only gained 4 lbs back, I got all 17 cholesterol points back plus 42 more points.

I really had no idea what was going on inside my body. I attributed the slight weight gain to holiday cooking and chose to ignore my niggling conscience when I ate foods that were not part of my diet plan.

Imagine my dismay when I opened my recent blood test results as I walked from the mailbox to my house and read these words: "Cholesterol very high. should start medication. She has been reluctant to do so in the past. Will discuss at her visit in two weeks."

Continue reading at Take Root and Write: Choosing Life Everyday!...>>

Choosing to Be Disciplined Everyday

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IOW: To Touch A Child's Heart

He who can reach a child's heart can reach the world's heart. ~ Rudyard Kipling

Every 5th Sunday my husband and I teach Junior Church. I think the ministry is wonderful but I dread doing my 45 minutes four times a year. I used to do it every month, but when it was time to say no to some things on my overflowing plate, this was one of the first to go (right after choir--mediocre alto voice...).

See, I am completely aware of my calling to serve -- my gifts do not lie in children's ministry. But the Lord has equipped me to be my husband's helpmeet. He is gifted to work with children; in fact, with any age.

He has the amazing ability to get involved in whatever game grabs the kids' interest. I remember several years ago during our once-a-month Extended Care time with the 4-5 year olds (during Sunday A.M. Worship) how one little boy was aggressive with the other children and unwilling to participate in any of the activities.

While I worked with the large group, my husband sat with this little boy tearing construction paper into tiny pieces and putting them in a toy dump truck. This went on every month for several months. Then my husband told the little boy that he had to sit with the other kids during story time before they could tear paper. To my amazement, the little boy cooperated. By the time he aged out of the class, he would participate in everything we did and would wait until play time to sit one-on-one with my husband.

This transformation took place because my husband spent time gaining the little boy's trust, eye-to-eye, focusing on what it took to engage his attention. Mr. Steve had reached out and touched this little boy's heart similarly to the way the Lord Jesus did in His own earthly ministry.

Jesus developed personal, intimate relationships with His followers -- not asking for immediate obedience but showing them His heart full of love for them. His eye-to-eye focus on the disciples led to a trust in His words that ended up in ministry that changed the world.

They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. ~Acts 2:42-47

Back to Junior Church: What a challenge the 1st through 6th grade group is! Some of the kids have been raised in church and cooperate enthusiastically. Some ride a bus to church and have no church background at home. Ministry to all these kids is so very important.

We have a vibrant youth group for them when they reach 7th grade. This middle ministry --between preschool and youth group-- must keep the kids interested in church and Jesus. My goal each 5th Sunday is to speak words in love that make them want more of Jesus.

I want this ministry to thrive. My grandson will be there some day and I hope the teachers at that time realize the importance of reaching young hearts at their most easily influenced. So I keep to it, trying to follow my husband's example and relying on his gifts to make up where I lack.

From Barna.org: ...teens who are evangelicals - i.e., those who are not only born again but also believe in the accuracy of the Bible, personal responsibility to evangelize, believe in salvation by grace alone, and possess orthodox biblical views on God, Jesus and Satan - have declined from 10% in 1995 to just 4% today.

Lord, help us reach the hearts of the children so they can reach the world.






In Other Words is being hosted by Nina at Mama's Little Treasures. Visit to read more posts and to link you your own take on today's quote.

IOW: To Touch A Child's Heart

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Struggling to Stand in Grace-Learning from Anne Rice

My heart overflows with a good theme;
I address my verses to the King;
My tongue is the pen of a ready writer.
You are fairer than the sons of men;
Grace is poured upon Your lips;
Therefore God has blessed You forever.
Gird Your sword on Your thigh, O Mighty One,
In Your splendor and Your majesty!
~Psalm 45:1-3~

I wrote in my January 11th Take Root and Write column, Choosing Life Everyday, about my New Year's resolution to reach for graciousness in every aspect of my life. Choose to Be Gracious Every Day discusses the definitions of graciousness. My particular struggle at this point is on using tact and delicacy...not so much in my speech and my actions, but in my endeavors to write.

As I work to become a novelist, the tug to write for popular acceptance is huge. It is human to want others find value in our creations. In the world of romance writing (into which fall any story that includes boy-meets-girl, etc), the most widely read books have elements that do not have any relation to tact or delicacy.

While I have no problem letting people know that I love the Lord, I am not one to use in-your-face witnessing. I try to develop personal relationships with others so that they can see that I am not just checking off a box on my religious obligations list, but that I truly care for them and their lives. In this I follow the example of the Lord Jesus Christ. His evangelism was one-on-one, meeting each where he or she was...not directing them to 'turn or burn.'

My friend, author Winter A. Peck, posted on Facebook a video interview with prolific novelist Anne Rice, best known for her book series The Vampire Chronicles. This video testimony has reminded me that regardless of the direction of my writing, it will reflect upon the Lord. My decision is to decide: "Just what reflection do I want my work to cast?"

Please watch this CBN TV interview. Share with me your thoughts and encouragement.

Struggling to Stand in Grace-Learning from Anne Rice

https://typingone-handed.blogspot.com/2010/01/struggling-to-stand-in-grace-learning.html

Hosting IOW: Sharing the Celebration

Let us remember the proclamation of the angel: "I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:10-11).

May our hearts go out to the unconverted people...who have no blessed Christmas day. "Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord" (Nehemiah 8:10).
by Mrs. L.B. Cowman, Streams in the Desert

Our personal celebration of Christmas was a deliberate attempt to establish a sense of home, even though our home changed every two to three years. My husband's career in the US Air Force took us all over the country and we enjoyed the travel and experiences for 22 years. During that career we were blessed with three children. Sometimes the years were lean and we could not travel back to our parents' homes to celebrate. Sometimes the years were fat and we did travel to our extended family during the holidays.

If you ask my children their favorite Christmas traditions, they will respond with

1) our Advent devotions - to redirect our focus to the meaning of Christmas we began very deliberate nightly devotions when our children were in elementary school;

2) baking cookies for the Air Force base gate guards who stood on duty on Christmas day;

3) their father reading the Christmas story from Luke every Christmas eve and then getting to open their Christmas eve pajamas and perhaps one family gift to share.

I believe the reason these traditions are most special to our children is because out of all the things we did during the holidays, these most reflected Jesus' example of celebration.

When the Creator of everything took on human flesh in the form of a tiny baby born to a young Jewish girl, the established traditions were thrown into an uproar. An angelic choir announced His arrival... The heavens themselves lit the way to Him with a bright star... The news of His birth was first shared with the people lowest on the social ladder.

I am sure many still clung to their old celebrations and ways of worshiping the Holy One of Israel, but change was coming even to them. Their world, and even time itself, was about to be split apart. While some still don't believe in the miracle of that first Christmas, there will come a day when no one will be able to deny it.

In the meantime, we are to celebrate.

That small Baby in Bethlehem tends to be the focus of a believer's winter holidays. It is good that we mark the miracle of Jesus' birth in a special way. But if that wonderful announcement to the shepherds ended with their finding the Baby in a manger and worshiping Him there, we would all be lost still.

The Baby grew up and it is His life after the stable that should be the focus of our celebrations. The parties and other gatherings are good -- Christ Himself participated in social events. Our task as His followers is to become like Him through what we know of Him.

The Baby in the manger was born to die on a cruel Roman cross to pay our penalty for sin and to conquer death in His humanity and diety by raising from death victoriously into life. Eternal life is the gift we all receive who believe in the miracle in the stable.

Along the way from the way from His birth to His resurrection, He showed us how to celebrate:

1) He gathered with family and friends.

...a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus' mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. (John 2:1-2)

2) He reached out to others to teach them the reason to celebrate.

The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!"

As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." (Mark 1:15-17)

3) He established traditions to mark the importance of the celebrations.

After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, "Take this and divide it among you. For I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes."

And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me." (Luke 22:17-19)

Our Celebration This Year

Our children are all gathered in and we've been working to make our celebration both memorable and evocative of past Christmas memories. This is a year of transitions for us. So many changes in the past few months, but I love how God has orchestrated this celebration to gift us with the comfort of the familiar. Even though the circumstances have included worrisome and at times, painful, moments, we have been brought together for perhaps the last of our "traditional" Christmases. I cherish this time and look forward to how God will establish our celebrations in the future.

Our three adult children are all home with us --

Our oldest daughter, studying baking and pastry at a college 3-1/2 hours away, got home just in time to help facilitate the traditions she holds most dear and to incorporate them into her 4-year-old son's Christmas.

Our second daughter, usually working more than an hour from home and living a half hour away from us, had back surgery and is staying with us for some Mama-care. She has been inspiring the rest of us to get our gifting done as she made sure to get hers done as soon as she was able to get out and about --- simple, thoughtful gifts for each recipient.

Our son (and youngest child) was allowed to come home for a couple of weeks between training programs with the US Marines. His young bride will join us this year, a welcome addition to our family and our celebrations.

This year we are establishing another tradition to replace the cookies for the gate guards. We received a Christmas card from our newspaper delivery man. I know of this man's circumstances because my husband delivers his mail. This man's wife is housebound from disabilities. They are raising two or three little boys that are not their own. They live in an old Habitat for Humanity house. They are extremely poor. I have deliberately left the envelope the Christmas card came in on a side table. Every time someone tidies the family room, they pick it up and ask me who this person is. I tell his story...and relate that we are going to share some of our bountiful blessings with this family in need.

My first goal throughout this next year is to be a good steward of our resources so that I can share with someone in need next Christmas. The card the man gave us indicates they know the Christmas story. I will pray that my gift will help them see and feel that story in action.

My second goal for the new year is to be aware of those around me...in particular, "those who have nothing prepared." The thing about giving of ourselves is that we are given so much more than things in return.

God bless you, my friends! I pray your Christmas will be full to overflowing of the Savior's love and that you will have many opportunities to share Him with others.






For more information on In Other Words, visit Loni at Writing Canvas.

Hosting IOW: Sharing the Celebration

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Advent Lost: A Christmas Parable

She slipped quietly into the back pew after the service started. The congregation’s song washed over her, calming her slightly, as she looked around the modest sanctuary through the veil of her hair.

The song came to an end and the worship leader told the congregation to shake hands with everyone around them. Suppressing a surge of panic, she hurried out the doors and went into the restroom she had seen as she walked in the church foyer. She stayed there until she heard the music start again.

Back in the same seat, she watched as the pastor stepped into the pulpit. Over the course of the next 30 minutes she chuckled softly, wept quietly, and finally rejoiced silently as he explained how much God loved her. The message was not new to her; she had just pushed it far away from her conscious mind. When the congregation stood for the invitational hymn, she slipped out the back doors, a little smile on her face.

She came back the next Sunday.

And the next.

The first Sunday of Advent, after the candle was lit, the first song was sung, and the congregation turned to each other to shake hands, she stayed in the sanctuary. She smiled shyly as people came up, shook her hand, and welcomed her to the church.

On the second Sunday of Advent, instead of sitting at the back, she gave in to her eager heart, drawn by the words being spoken about the love of the Father, and moved closer to the pulpit.

The third Sunday of Advent, she sat closer still. Something within her was calling her to go forward during the invitation. When the upbeat song began for the invitation, she hesitated just a minute, a bit frightened and excited. Right as she worked up the courage to step out of the pew, a woman in the pew in front of her turned to her companion frowning and speaking in a loud whisper said she really hated today’s music selections and asked heatedly what was wrong with traditional hymns. Her companion nodded sympathetically.

Instead of stepping out of the pew, she stood frozen. She hurried out of a side door as soon as the service was over.

On the fourth Sunday of Advent, she sat near the back. She still felt anticipation building as the pastor told the story of the angel visiting the mother and earthly father of God’s Son, announcing the coming Savior. When she stood for the invitation, again she hesitated to gather her courage but thinking about the rescue for her life that awaited her at the end of the walk down the aisle.

Just over from her, she heard Bibles zipped shut and a couple discussing lunch plans. She tried to ignore the conversation and go ahead to the front, but her heart broke and she stood statue still when the words came to her ears that he didn’t understand why it took so long to tell the same old story that gets told every year.

Instead of going forward, she hurried out the back door, holding in her tears until she got to her car. Sobbing with overwhelming grief from hearing the critical spirits from the same ones who smiled and shook her hand in welcome each Sunday, she started the car and drove out of the parking lot.

She didn’t come back on the Sunday after Christmas.

Or the next.

On a Sunday toward the end of January, as a group of friends walked to their cars, one asked if anyone had seen that shy woman who sat in the back. For a minute everyone tried to remember when he or she had last seen her. Then someone piped up with a suggestion that they all try out that new restaurant downtown for lunch. And they got in their cars, forgetting about her as they drove out of the parking lot to fellowship with each other some more.

“Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God— even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.” 1 Corinthians 10:32-33 [NIV]

[FEATURED @ INTERNET CAFE DEVOTIONS, December 9, 2008]

Advent Lost: A Christmas Parable

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In All Things Give Thanks

This is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

~1 John 5:14-15~

Today is Thankful Thursday. Our son is enduring an enormous challenge at USMC boot camp -- The Crucible. This trial-by-fire recreates battlefield stress including sleep and food deprivation while undergoing physically and mentally challenging tasks. It began at 0200 (2 a.m.) this morning.

At the completion of this exercise, 0800 (8 a.m.) on Saturday, October 31, he and his fellow recruits will be awarded the Eagle, Globe and Anchor and be called Marines for the first time since arriving on Parris Island, for our son 110 days ago.

I am thankful:

1. That our son has found strength in relying on our heavenly Father.


2. That he was able to call out to God when he was lonely and God was there for him.


3. That God gathered our son into His arms when he was 6 years old and, even when our son ignored Him later on, the Lord never loosened His grip.


4. That the Father's tender care of our son is not dependent on my emotional stability during trying times. He is always faithful to His Word.


5. That God is wholly righteous and trustworthy.


6. That His love for our son was proven on Calvary when God gave His Son as the perfect Sacrifice for sin and because our son believes in Jesus as his Savior, he is a child of the King.

Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving.

~Colossians 4:2~

Read more about the journey at Coming Full Circle: From Military Daughter to Military Wife to Military Mom.

The Crucible (The official USMC headquarters definition):

The culmination of recruit training is the Crucible, an intense field training exercise designed to build unit cohesion, reinforce core values, and complete the transformation from recruit to Marine. The Crucible is the defining moment of the recruit training experience. As a right of passage, the 45 Concepts and Issues Crucible is a 54-hour ordeal that tests the mettle of every recruit (and DI). The physical and mental challenges are intensified by sleep and food deprivation.

The Crucible focuses on six major field events and is augmented by eleven challenging Warrior Stations. Throughout this rapid paced exercise, emphasis is placed on the importance of teamwork in overcoming adversity and adaptive problem solving. The teams of recruits, under the leadership of their drill instructor, succeed as a team. The experience pushes recruits to their limits and is a poignant culmination to the transformation process.



Lynn is hosting Thankful Thursday on her blog Spiritually Unequal Marriage. Visit her to read more posts on Thankfulness and to post your own.

In All Things Give Thanks

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I am hosting In Other Words today: True Peace

Peace is not an easy concept to grasp. It sounds like the ideal state for which to strive...so much so that the political fad of the day is brokering peace accords--agreements between nations to live, if not in harmony, at least without war. This very tenuous kind of peace depends upon the signers of the accord keeping their promises. While I am sure not all such accords are signed out of political expediency, this peace - "as the world gives" - is not lasting. It can be broken over the most trivial of events: a change of political office holder; a perceived slight or insult. The world gives a temporary peace.

The Woman's Study Bible ( 1995, Thomas Nelson Publishers) says this:

Peace...is much more than the absence of conflict; it is an objective reality that brings harmony to life. Those who have not experienced the new relationship with God are subject to His wrath (Romans 1:18; 8:7, 8). The relationship between God and His creation is restored through faith in Christ, dissolving all enmity. The result is peace.

This peace is not between people. It is a restoration of the relationship between Creator and creation. With peace established, joy follows because there is joy in the presence of the Lord.

Practical Application:

I must admit I have let circumstances overwhelm my sense of peace these past few months. It seems that worry is a great thief of peaceful living. No worry is harder to overcome than that for our children.

When our son left for USMC basic training, my peace seemed to shatter all around me, but that was really an illusion caused by me diverting my eyes from the One in whom is perfect peace and joy.

Evidently while I was ready for my children to move into their adult roles, I wasn't totally ready to relinquish my protective tether. As of this posting, our son has been at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot on Parris Island, South Carolina, for 108 days instead of the 89 days we expected.

He graduates at the end of next week, 3-1/2 weeks longer than is typical due to some medical issues that occurred right as he entered the final phase of training. To say I worried is a gross understatement. With communication limited to letter writing, the need to know how he was doing consumed my waking moments--made longer by sleeplessness, caused of course, by out-of-control fretting.

This preoccupation with circumstances not under my control caused me to become very ineffectual as a Christian in all aspects of my life. Tearing up every other minute was not a very good testament to my faith.

The turning point in my transformation from fear to trust was caused by two things: 1) Our son made an off-hand comment about how he was getting more letters from Dad than Mom; 2) In an effort to rectify that and to encourage him during the toughest week of boot camp, I have been collecting and handwriting for him, devotions that reveal the steadfast love of God in times of difficulty and testing. Each one I copied and mailed to him helped chip away at the icy fear around my heart.

I can't say that I'm basking in the warmth of God's peace as I write this--too much is still to come before our son returns home--but I am finding myself pausing to feel the heat of His love for increasingly longer periods.

Let us give His love full scope. Nothing happens by itself, and every sorrow, every trial is part of the plan of love, part of refining.
Love meant it.
Love sent it.
Love will bless it. ~Amy Carmichael (1867-1951), missionary to India

For Further Study:

My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers, The Great Life
Back to the Bible Radio Program, Where Can I Find Peace?
Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, Steps to Peace with God

Please leave a link to your blog post here.

I am hosting In Other Words today: True Peace

https://typingone-handed.blogspot.com/2009/10/i-am-hosting-in-other-words-today-true.html

I'm Hosting In Other Words - October 27, 2009

I'm hosting In Other Words on Tuesday, October 27, 2009. I would love for you to join us. Just read the quote and share your thoughts about it on your blog. Then come back and link to my page so others can enjoy your inspiration.



Text: "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful." John 14:27 NASB

I'm Hosting In Other Words - October 27, 2009

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Beauty in Adversity

It was good for me to be afflicted. ~Psalm 119:71a

What a strange thing for the Psalmist to say... It is not natural for us to enjoy or find goodness in adversity, yet this Psalm is full of strange sayings such as these. Why did the Psalmist say it was good to be afflicted (Merriam-Webster: to be distressed so severely as to cause persistent suffering or anguish)?

What was his gain? The next half and following verse tells it:

That I may learn Your statutes.
The law of Your mouth is better to me
Than thousands of coins of gold or silver. ~Psalm 119:71b-72

Today I found my Streams in the Desert devotional while cleaning my office. Among all the useful items for research and writing, lay this little jewel mined by a woman who knew affliction. First published over 80 years ago, its truths reach through the generations to encourage and uplift because it is totally written about the Truth as God set it down.

Read this October 1 devotion based on the above verse:

It is a remarkable occurrence of nature that the most brilliant colors of plants are found on the highest mountains, in places that are the most exposed to the fiercest weather. The brightest lichens and mosses, as well as the most beautiful wildflowers, abound high upon the windswept, storm-ravaged peaks.

One of the finest arrays of living color I have ever seen was just above the great Saint Bernard Hospice near the ten-thousand-foot summit of Mont Cenis in the French Alps. The entire face of one expansive rock was covered with a strikingly vivid yellow lichen, which shone in the sunshine like a golden wall protecting an enchanted castle. Amid the loneliness and barrenness of that high altitude and exposed to the fiercest winds of the sky, this lichen exhibited glorious color it has never displayed in the shelter of the valley.

As I write these words, I have two specimens of the same type of lichen before me. One is from this Saint Bernard area, and the other is from the wall of a Scottish castle, which is surrounded by sycamore trees. The difference in their form and coloring is quite striking. The one grown amid the fierce storms of the mountain peak has a lovely yellow color of a primrose, a smooth texture, and a definite form and shape. But the one cultivated amid the warm air and soft showers of the lowland valley has a dull, rusty color, a rough texture, and an indistinct and broken shape.

Isn't it the same with a Christian who is afflicted, storm-tossed, and without comfort? Until the storms and difficulties allowed by God's providence beat upon a believer again and again, his character appears flawed and blurred. Yet the tiral actually clear away the clouds and shadows, perfect the form of his character, and bestow brightness and blessing to his life.

Amidst my list of blessings infinite
Stands this the foremost, that my heart has bled;
For all I bless You, most for the severe.

~Rev. Hugh Macmillan (1833-1903), Scottish minister and naturalist

We believers in America live a fairly soft, easy life. What kind of Christians does this lifestyle make? Are we dull, undefined examples of the blessings of God, living a mundane and unremarkable existence? Or have we grasped hold of the adversities, clawing apart the outer surface of suffering to find the depths of our Christ-molded soul, so it can sparkle with and for HIS GLORY?

Beauty in Adversity

https://typingone-handed.blogspot.com/2009/10/beauty-in-adversity.html