Gifts

"Probably the reason we all go so haywire at Christmastime with the endless unrestrained and often silly buying of gifts is that we don't quite know how to put our love into words."  - Harlan Miller

Buying gifts makes me a little crazy!  Don't get me wrong, I love to give gifts, but the commercial madness of the Christmas season makes me uncomfortable.  I find myself trying desperately to find the "right" gift for people who really don't "need" anything. 

The truth is, I want to show the ones closest to me how much I love them and there is no gift able to capture that love.  I do give gifts, but my love is truly shown through the meals I prepare, the surprise SONIC drink I bring home, even by washing and folding clothes.  Sometimes it's just by sitting and listening.

Sacrifice goes hand in hand with Love.

When you get married, you sacrifice things you never dreamed to make a relationship work.

When you have children, you truly sacrifice your needs to meet the needs of your child.

And offering yourself to a friend in need often means sacrificing time, energy and maybe even possessions to help them out.

 The ultimate sacrifice was given for each of us.  And that is what this season is all about.  God sent His Son to earth knowing the pain he would endure in order to save each of us.  His gift was not an afterthought...it wasn't equivalent to a generic gift that can be given to someone at a moment's notice without thought.  It was the gift that keeps on giving.

"Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends."  John 15:13 (NIV)

Today I Am Thankful For:

1.  Dinner by candlelight with the family

2.  Sparkly sweaters

3.  Horseback riding on a cold, clear New Mexico afternoon

4.  Antibiotics

5.  Christmas music via Pandora

Breathe

"In the Messiah, in Christ, God leads us from place to place in one perpetual victory parade. Through us, he brings knowledge of Christ. Everywhere we go, people breathe in the exquisite fragrance. Because of Christ, we give off a sweet scent rising to God, which is recognized by those on the way of salvation—an aroma redolent with life. But those on the way to destruction treat us more like the stench from a rotting corpse."

                                                                    2 Corinthians 2:14-16 (The Message)

When was the last time you took a good, deep breath?

• I went horseback riding this past weekend and stopped to smell the air on the trail.

• As I was playing my oboe in church, I had to be very exact in my breathing so that the music would make sense.

• I stopped on the main floor of our home and caught a scent unfamiliar to me...I had been too busy to notice the smell of our Christmas tree.

• And I even took a moment to take a deep breath outside in the cold as a few snowflakes began to fall.

As "oozers", we should be working to live lives pleasing to Christ.  When our words or actions cause others to experience Christ, not only are we shining the light of Christ through our being, but the fragrance of Christ lingers after our encounter is over.

Let the holiday season take over and fill you with the Spirit of Christ.  The joy that the baby in a manger brought to our world.  Enjoy the reason we celebrate the season...breathe deeply.

 

Today I Am Thankful For:
1.  Hugs

2.  Play therapy

3.  Ice cream on a cold day

4.  Plastic containers

5.  My iPod dock

 

 

A Beautiful Day

Some days are better than others. 

Some days we run and run, looking at the clock anticipating the next thing on the list that needs to be accomplished.  If we are lucky, we occasionally have a day where the clock is not an issue.  That's one thing I love about Sunday afternoons.  Once church is over and we have eaten lunch, the afternoon is open…..for resting, relaxing and getting our minds ready for the upcoming week.

Yesterday was extra special because we celebrated Easter.  The weather was perfect, church went beautifully, we had a surprise visit by some old friends but most importantly, we celebrated that Christ had risen.

When you really stop to think about what that means, it's almost too much to comprehend.  If you have ever watched "The Passion of the Christ," I think you may have a pretty vivid visual of what Christ endured for each of us.  It was beyond unbearable.  That God would send his only Son to die for us, despite our messiness...despite our checkered pasts and despite the fact that we continue to mess up is just beyond comprehension.

The Lenten season is a journey.  A journey to the Risen Christ.

I am loved. 

Loved beyond words.

You are too.

Today I am Thankful For:

1.  Lilies

2.  Chocolate chip cookies

3.  Baby wipes

4.  DVR

5.  The Easter Bunny :)

Lights

I must admit, our living room looks just beautiful! We decorated in a flash this past weekend, had a fantastic time, and our efforts paid off. Our living room is absolutely warm and inviting. The most beautiful part of the whole room are the lights. White lights on the tree, colored lights on the garland hanging on the windows, and lights intertwined with the berries on the piano. I am not sure why lights are so warm and inviting during the holiday season, but they just complete everything.
The star the wise men followed must have been brighter than anything we could even imagine. They saw it and followed it without question. I wonder what kind of life the wise men each had. Did they leave their families to follow the star? Were they businessmen or teachers who left behind responsibilities?

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12 (NIV)

Jesus did not ask us to follow Him in darkness, but in light. Christ lights the way so that we may see each of our steps...even when we turn in the wrong direction. He never leaves us.

Are you letting the light of Christ shine through you? Are you being kind, compassionate and forgiving?

When you see another set of Christmas lights, or a beautiful candle burning, remember that Christ loves you. He is with you in every thought and move you make. Imagine that light oozing out you. That through every breath you take and word you speak that you are truly being the hands and feet of Christ. Carry the beauty of this amazing season with you throughout the year.
Today I Am Thankful For:

1.  rain
2.  ornaments
3.  old movies
4.  an exceptional manicure
5.  a sleeping dog

For the First Time in a Long Time

This was a wonderful weekend. Breakfast on Saturday morning at our favorite little restaurant, decorating the house for the Christmas season, cooking for my family, baking cookies, and going to church for the first time in a couple of weeks (my husband even consecrated the elements so that our family could celebrate Holy Communion together after church). The bottom line is, my family was together.

It was the first time we have had a couple of "normal" days. Nothing earth shattering happened, it was low key, and absolutely wonderful.

My "Christian" is healing well. He is still having trouble with his ankle and has not returned to school quite yet, but all is looking better than a week ago :)

Now that things have settled down, the enormity of the past two weeks has begun to settle in. I was an emotional mess in church this morning. Just being in the presence of my church family, who has loved us through this difficult time, was almost too much.

I am missing my mother-in-law terribly and seeing my husband hurt brings back the pain in losing my mother so many years ago. We change because of our loss. We are never the same, but we move on and try to live our lives as a testament to what our parents taught us and wanted for us.
I think my husband and I are going to have a bit of a hard time getting into the "holiday spirit," but we are going to try our best. We have to remember that life goes on and the way we handle the difficult times in our lives is seen by our children. I want them to know that we are surrounded by love and that through everything, love endures all.
Today I Am Thankful For:

1. Fresh baked cookies
2. Reading scripture
3. Kleeex with "lotion" (much softer)
4. Prescription refills
5. Snuggling with my little one

Is Blood Really Thicker than Water?

My son asked me when I celebrated my favorite Thanksgiving. Without hesitation I told him that it was when we moved to New Mexico (almost six years ago). We had about 20 people over for dinner at our little rental house in the mountains and I had never felt such closeness and joy. I was trained to think that the only people you could really be close to you were your blood relatives. It has taken me years to let go of that perception. The fact is, I have a few friends who I am extremely close to. Friends who understand me for who I am and what I can offer (because I am definitely not the person I was 10 years ago….Thank You God!) And friends who accept my children for who they are with their bleeding disorder (and aren't afraid of them).

You always think that your family (blood relatives) are the people who are closest to you in your life. I grew up assuming that. You never miss a birthday or a holiday...they are the first ones you call when an important event in your life happened and when one was in need, you were there to help them out...no matter what. I used to have that. And I miss it.

Unfortunately that changed many years ago for me. It was a terrible time. Fights, arguments, misunderstandings, letters of apology sent, continued prayer….and no response. I will admit it is something I think of almost daily.

I've experienced love like I never dreamed from people who are not "blood." It can really happen. It keeps me going. From the friend encouraging me to get back to Zumba, the friends who sent me flowers when I was in the hospital, to the friend who named my children in her will. It's amazing how people love.

Today I Am Thankful For:

1. Toasted pumpkin seeds
2. Wounds healing
3. Spray adhesive
4. Pretty paper
5. Cold evenings

The New Year

I am doing something different on this New Year's Eve….NO RESOLUTIONS! Every year I have great intentions...I'll exercise regularly, lose weight, eat right, etc.

There is so much I need to do to better myself physically and spiritually, but I refuse to put a timeline on it this year. I "resolve" to take one day at a time and make each day the best I can make it. I mean, the truth is, each day we get is one more than we deserve! I am going to live each day with intention.

I am going to pay extra attention to my husband and children. I am going to look in their eyes each day and treasure the time I have with them.

I am looking forward to today. To spend it with my guys doing a bit of shopping and maybe a movie and then spending the evening with friends.

I am so blessed. I am going to spend my day counting my blessings and enjoying each and every minute of today.

Blessings to you, this New Year's Eve.

Today I Am Thankful For:

1. Hot chocolate
2. Cards to be mailed
3. Truly cold weather
4. An unplanned day
5. friends

Thankful for Moments

I had an amazing experience yesterday.

I picked up my little Christian from the babysitter, and as I walked into her house, I was completely overwhelmed. "Ma", as the children call her, was cooking dinner and the smell from her oven wrapped itself around me. It was one of those smells that you could not pinpoint. What was the ingredient? It was my mom. When I asked "Ma" what she was cooking I found out it was meatloaf. My mother never made meatloaf but that smell was completely hers.

I haven't experienced that smell in over 14 years.

The hairs on my arms were standing up and a warmth enveloped my entire being. Tears started to roll down my cheeks. My mother was with me in that moment.

It was an unexpected moment. A moment I needed. A moment I am thankful for.

I love how the holiday season starts in such a profound way. We start by giving thanks. We take time to focus on the things that we often take for granted...family, friendships, the people we work with, the food we have in our pantry, the freedom we experience every day, the moments that come and go in a flash.

I am just thankful God has given me another day to enjoy the blessings in my life.

Today I Am Thankful For:

1. Special deliveries
2. Cucumbers
3. Winter clothes
4. Family pictures
5. A busy concert schedule

Happy Easter!

What a wonderful Easter Sunday! The church service was beautiful, the weather perfect, lunch with friends, lots of choclate bunnies and eggs to hunt, a delicious Sunday dinner and a soak to end the night. We couldn't have had a more perfect day.






"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me." Psalm 51:10

Today I Am Thankful For:

1. sugar free jello
2. lillies
3. Sam's Club
4. sandals
5. capri pants

A Great Year

2009 was a wonderful year!

Yes, we started with Lance in the hospital for an appendectomy in January and yes Christian was in the hospital several times and began chemo this year, but overall the year has been great.

My husband is 6 months away from finishing his Master of Divinity and being commissioned in the Methodist Church, my job is developing and offering me more responsibilities and projects, we are serving a church in a new capacity and my children are happy.

I never dreamed we would have moved and serve a church by this time, but God's timing is perfect.

I pray that 2010 offers you and your families many blessings.

Happy New Year!

Today I Am Thankful For:

1. peanut butter on a bagel
2. haircuts
3. cards to address
4. external hard drives
5. new beginnings

A Wonderful Holiday

Christmas with a three year old is just too much fun! My thirteen year old is still young enough to also still "be a kid" and not too much of a "tween" and it made for a wonderful Christmas morning.

When your small family of four lives hundreds of miles away from family, it can be a little lonely. I was set to make a nice meal on Christmas Day, watch some movies and that would have made our holiday complete. But we were invited to Christmas lunch at B and T's and Christmas dinner at J and B's! We took everyone up on their offers and we had such a blessed day!

Family is not only "blood" but family is the love you have for others and the relationships you cultivate. This was one of our best Christmas Day's to date.

Today I Am Thankful For:

1. friendship
2. the possibility of snow
3. fleece
4. B's tamales
5. after Christmas shopping

No Room

Have you ever had a Christmas season where once it was all over you realized you had left Christ out of the picture?



I have promised to try my best to not let that happen. I am purposely scaling back...not every ornament is on the tree (I only have one tree instead of two), not all the decorations, including the village, came out of their boxes, I've not gone overboard shopping and baking...quite yet.



I want to enjoy the quiet of Christmas...you know, enjoy the sounds around me. Enjoy my children as we watch as Christmas special, prepare for our days off together and plan some quality time. Enjoy just "being".



Our holiday schedules get so busy that we have no room for solitude with the Lord, no room for Jesus to work wonders in your life, no room in our schedules to breathe, no room for Jesus.



I challenge you this holiday season to leave room for the One who is most important.



Today I Am Thankful For:



1. Walmart pizza

2. pictures with Santa

3. holiday music

4. porch lights

5. tea lights

Advent

At lunch after church I heard an interesting conversation. A woman, who is close friends to our lunch buddies, had never heard of Advent. She is a church going woman, but their church does not celebrate Advent.

She was trying very hard to understand what this time in our church year meant. I find it odd that not everyone knows about Advent. Growing up Catholic and becoming Methodist, it is part of our tradition, so it is all I know at this time of year.

Advent is a time of preparation. A season to prepare for the birth of Christ. Some people use Advent calendars to mark off the days until Christmas, others use candles, but regardless of how you mark the season of Advent it reminds us that the coming of Christ into the world is not something that just happened in the past -- the season of Advent tells us that Christ continues to come into our world in the present through the lives of people who choose to follow Him.

Just as we prepare our homes for guests at the holidays, we need to prepare our hearts for the most special guest of all.

Today I Am Thankful For:

1. lots of work to keep me busy "at work"
2. furniture polish
3. snowmen
4. childhood Christmas decorations
5. fingerpaints

Presents

"It is better to give than to receive."



I do love to give presents. I love to pick out just the right paper with a pretty bow, but let's be honest, it's nice to get a present too and that's okay.



When you start to look around, there are presents everywhere. Not just wrapped in pretty boxes and bags but around you in your daily living.



Your child doing well in school, a warm house in the winter, food to eat, a computer to surf and blog, a sleeping dog under the tree...you just have to open your eyes to the blessings around you. If they were wrapped in a pretty box, you would love to open them and cherish them.






The reality is, we have received the ultimate gift of all. Jesus. He died for us. For each of us. I mean think about it...God sent his only son to die on the cross for us. That is huge! Watch The Passion of the Christ sometime to get a visual of what that really meant. We say it so often and take it for granted, but what did it look like? Do we know what it means? We are given the gift of His love everyday. The gift of forgiveness of our sins, everyday.



Think about presents today. How would you wrap up the love of Christ?

Today I Am Thankful For:

1. papers to shred

2. a decorated tree

3. "Jingle Bell Rock"

4. newly hung pictures

5. the clinking sound in the dryer

Another week

I always enjoy Monday mornings. I know, it sounds crazy, but I like to gather my thoughts and plans for the week and know that a new week has come with many opportunities.

Holiday decorations to display, meals to cook, cookies to bake, music to prepare...the list goes on, but it is a list of things that will bless our family. New traditions mixed with the old to make some wonderful memories.

I have finally gotten to the point in my life where I do not let holiday's "rule" me. I used to get very stressed out about buying presents (did I get enough) decorating just right (what was Martha Stewart doing lately) and did the food I cook and bake come out good enough?

There is not a"right" way to celebrate, as long as you are with your family and friends.

Enjoy the beginning of your week! Fill it with memory making!

Today I Am Thankful For:

1. new bulletin boards
2. iPod chargers
3. portable DVD players (keeps Christian busy in the hospital :)
4. turtleneck sweaters
5. firewood

Merry Christmas??

I had a great experience this weekend. I went to a ladies retreat at Elephant Butte Inn, which is our neighboring town on the lake (it is a beautiful place). Janet Drez (Octopus Faith), was our guest speaker from Arizona.

The retreat was entitled, "Christmas Through the Eyes of A Child." She walked us through anticipating the Christmas season. Sounds funny to be talking about Christmas in October, but before we blink our eyes the season will be upon us.

I always get overwhelmed with the holiday season. Actually, Thanksgiving is my favorite, but I feel as if I have to do Christmas "right" like a family member who I used to be close with always did. You know, the "Martha Stewart" kind of Christmas.

But that is not me and never will be. I just know that I will continue to focus on why we celebrate Christmas. Like Janet said this weekend, it's the biggest birthday party of the year!

Today I Am Thankful For:

1. new friends
2. afternoon naps
3. paper shredderws
4. a new bible study (The Reason We Speak)
5. date night!

Happy New Year!

Blessings to you for a wonderful 2009! I'll be on vacation this week and will see you next week.

Today I Am Thankful For:

1. Vacation
2. a roaring fire
3. phone calls from old friends
4. my husband preaching
5. cold toes

Joy

Christmas Eve. I think I enjoy Christmas Eve even more than Christmas Day. Going to church together, singing carols, celebrating the birth of Christ.

Putting the kids to bed and staying up to the wee hours with my husband wrapping presents in front of the fire discussing "life's issues", with a good cup of hot chocolate. I love these moments.

I am filled with an enormous amount of joy this season. My family is happy and healthy, we have our basic needs met and have love. I don't know what could be any better.

God gives us joy because that gives Him joy.

"The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." Zephaniah 3:17

Today I Am Thankful For:

1. God's voice
2. wind
3. time off
4. warm boots
5. road trips

Hope

This time of year is about the holiday season. Presents, traditions, family, and most importantly, the birth of Christ. We get so wrapped up in the holiday happenings around us that we may forget that others may not be in the "holiday spirit."

I know a person at our church whose mother passed away Saturday. Another lady just received a devastating diagnosis of cancer with "three months" to live. How do you embrace the holiday's when these situations are around?

I believe it's about hope. Not the kind of hope that a child has when thinking about presents, but the hope we have in Christmas. It is something that we know with certainty will happen. The birth of Christ. God promised the Jewish people that the Messiah was coming. They relied on this when they became slaves to Pharoah. The birth of Christ is the fulfillment of God's promise to send the Messiah.

Even now, when we are in times of despair, financial ruin, dissolution of family, God is there. We have hope in Him and he never fails us.

Today I Am Thankful For:

1. crunchy granola
2. wrapping presents
3. Christmas caroling
4. my boys being home for the holiday's
5. hope

Room

It's already happening. I am getting so busy with the season that I am not leaving room for the important things. Room for my quiet time with Jesus, room for hearing my own thoughts, room for remembering what Christmas is all about.

There wasn't room for Mary and Joseph that night in Bethlehem. And here I am again, getting wrapped up in the season with no room for what is important, Jesus.

What do you do to keep the importance of Christ alive at Christmas? It is such a struggle when you have young children, because of the commercialism of it all. Santa, Rudolf, presents...(my oldest used to think Rudolf brought the presents).

During this time of Advent, I want to make it a priority to sit and talk with my children every night about Christ. A devotional, a story, what is important in their day and how Christ reflected through them (at least my oldest).

Today I Am Thankful For:

1. Lavendar
2. conference calls
3. lighted snowmen
4. working an upcoming Walk to Emmaus
5. Mary