Jingle Bells

I hope this post finds you all enjoying a very happy holiday season! The birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, should make all of our hearts swell with joy as we realize and contemplate the fact that perfection was made man to save us all! With that said, I want to talk a bit about what has been on my mind lately. During the holidays, I tend to think about my family that has gone on to be with Jesus and just how much I miss them. My mom and dad are both gone, and they both loved this time of year! I so wish they could both see how much Josh, Jeremy and Bekah have grown, and how they are turning into three fine young adults that are such a joy to be around! I miss my father in law too, who just went to be with Jesus this past May. He truly enjoyed the holidays as well, and will surely be missed this Christmas. I think we all think about family this time of year. I found a quote recently about family that I would like to share.
Family quarrels have a total bitterness unmatched by others. Yet it sometimes happens that they also have a kind of tang, a pleasantness beneath the unpleasantness, based on the tacit understanding that this is not for keeps; that any limb you climb out on will still be there later for you to climb back. 
I love this! Any limb you climb out on will still be there later for you to climb back. I love this analogy! Family should always be this way. No matter what happens, beneath it all is love and compassion. Forgiveness and understanding. Is this not the way the Father treats us? Every time we sin, all we have to do is ask forgiveness and it is given to us. Unconditionally! He does not file it back to use against us later, but understands that we are fallen and we are a sinful people and that we are going to constantly need forgiveness over and over and over again.
As we go through the hustle and bustle of the holidays, try and remember that we all sometimes climb out on a limb, but remember your family will and should always let you climb back.
 To all of my family, I love you and thank you all for forgiving me  of my short comings!

Father: Thank you that you forgive me over and over and over and over and over......

PAIN, NO GAIN

Sometimes I just do not understand people. Why would people want to hurt others on purpose? Why would they find joy in the pain of others?  Should we all not strive to be more like Christ? Should we all not love others as He loves us? This is short and sweet, as I would like for everyone to REALLY think about these questions.

Father: open our hearts and minds to listen to you and be ready to accept Your directions. Amen

MY HEAVY HEART

It is very difficult being a teacher sometimes! There are times that you just want to walk out of the class and go home. There are times you feel like you are making a difference. There are times you are making a difference. There are times when you wonder why you ever went into teaching to begin with. Today was that day for me. Just a bad day all around. The question is...was it a bad day because of the kids or because I just allowed it to be bad? Sometimes we let the bad in and don't look for the good. The good is all around us! In the beautiful sky, fresh air, faces of the students, etc. Why can't we concentrate on the good? Why is our glass always half empty? Why all the questions?


Father; help me to find the good in each one of my students. Amen

TIME DOES NOT STAND STILL

Oh my goodness! I cannot believe that I have not blogged since October 23! I have soooo much to talk about,  and yet I cannot find a starting point. All three of my children are in the CCT's performance of "It's A Wonderful Life". The play is a huge reason for the lack of blogging. I have been helping paint and put together sets for the performance. I enjoy it so much, because it takes me back to my high school years as a thespian. Watching my children on stage brings so much joy! (Although, my eldest son Josh has said this is his last play on stage, he prefers running the lights!) The story of George Baily deciding if his life is worth living is simply a wonderful story. Just imagine if you could see how many lives you have touched. I know that sometimes we are all overwhelmed with life and we feel that we are not helping anyone or truly making a difference, but we all  do! We all have a purpose for being here, and that purpose is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever! And that is not a small thing my friends. We have the awesome honor of praising the one true God of the universe! To love Him and be loved by Him is unmatched by anything else! Let us all remember that even though it may seem dark, there is a light that shines brighter than the sun!

Heavenly Father: I love that you chose me to serve you by becoming a teacher. Help me to love my students even when they are not loveable. Show me how I can show their worth to them, and show me how I can love them more each day.

JUST WHERE I NEEDED TO BE

Sometimes you just KNOW you are where you need to be. Today, I KNEW I was supposed to be in Sunday School. It was just what I needed to hear. We read in Ephesians 3:14-21. Paul is addressing the church at Ephesus, to discuss the church as a whole. The NKJV of the New Geneva Study Bible says the following: "The church is a building of people, grounded in the sure revelation of what God has done in history. The church is an organism where power and authority are exercised after the pattern of Christ. The church is an outpost in a dark world looking for the day of redemption. Above all, the church is the bride preparing for the approach of her husband." When I read this, I just smiled. As I sat in SS, and we talked about prayer and how and why we pray, I felt so grounded and sure. I felt at home, and I felt that I was JUST WHERE I NEEDED TO BE. I hope all of my family and friends were feeling the same way in their church today. I pray that you all were just where you needed to be. This world is dark and it is scary, but the light that Christ emits, brightens even the darkest corners, and prayer can bring us closer to that light. Prayer is designed to help us move closer to Him, by communing with Him and making our requests known to Him.

Father: Thank you for giving my family a church where we can learn more about your love. Thank you for everyone who was sitting around the table in SS today. I pray that you will bless each of them this week, and keep them all safe until we join up again next week. Thank you that I was just where I needed to be. AMEN!

WHAT A PRETTY PACKAGE..OR NOT

OK, today, I found this posted on FB, and I just HAD to share it with everyone.....it just affected me SO MUCH!

A young man was getting ready to graduate college. For many months he had admired a beautiful sports car in a dealer's showroom, and knowing his father could well afford it, he told him that was all he wanted. As Graduation Day approached, the young man awaited signs that his father had purchased the car. Finally, on the morning of his graduation his father called him into his private study. His father told him how proud he was to have such a fine son, and told him how much he loved him. He handed his son a beautiful wrapped gift box. Curious, but somewhat disappointed the young man opened the box and found a lovely, leather-bound Bible. Angrily, he raised his voice at his father and said, "With all your money you give me a Bible?" and stormed out of the house, leaving the holy book. Many years passed and the young man was very successful in business. He had a beautiful home and wonderful family, but realized his father was very old, and thought perhaps he should go to him. He had not seen him since that graduation day. Before he could make arrangements, he received a telegram telling him his father had passed away, and willed all of his possessions to his son. He needed to come home immediately and take care things. When he arrived at his father's house, sudden sadness and regret filled his heart. He began to search his father's important papers and saw the still new Bible, just as he had left it years ago. With tears, he opened the Bible and began to turn the pages. As he read those words, a car key dropped from an envelope taped behind the Bible. It had a tag with the dealer's name, the same dealer who had the sports car he had desired. On the tag was the date of his graduation, and the words...PAID IN FULL. How many times do we miss God's blessings because they are not packaged as we expected? 


Father...help me to see ALL of the blessings you send my way, no matter WHAT kind of package they come in. You are truly an awesome God!

ROAD WORK AHEAD

While driving back to school today after two glorious weeks off, I ran into some road work. You see those flashing signs, those orange cones and you think, great how long will I be stuck here.  However, we should not look at the negatives of road work, but the positives. Soon, we will have fresh new pavement, which hides all the signs of wear and tear. Potholes will no longer exist, and maybe there will even be a wider road when it is all said and done. Rebirth and renewal after a time of difficulty. I think we need to remember that when we are needing a little work done in our lives, it may be inconvenient and difficult. We might have to take a detour and back up and go in a different direction. But the outcome can be beautiful.

Father, show me the places  in my life where I need to detour or find a new direction. Show me the times I need to slow down and smooth out the rough spots. Help me to be ready and willing to change when change is needed. Thank you for my students and help me to find ways to motivate them to be the best person they can be.

WHEN IS IT ENOUGH?

Today was a great day spending time with family and friends! We went to an outdoor festival in a neighboring community and it was great. Several vendors who made everything from fudge, to stuffed and carved snowmen. I wanted so much of it! Every time I entered a new booth there was something else my heart desired. Something that I just had to have. But, I did not have enough funds to get all those treasures. I did not have enough funds to get any of those things. My mind wandered to winning the lottery and thinking, if I win, next year I will come with LOTS of money to buy everything I want. Now there are two problems here. Number one, I am not buying tickets for the lottery so it will be extremely difficult to win, and number two, how much of those "treasures" do I really need?

Have you ever noticed when you get a little money ahead and you go shopping to spend that money it is so much harder to find anything than when you have no money? At least that is the way it seems. Give me $50.00 to spend and I cant find anything to buy! It begs the question, why? Why are we not satisfied with what we have? What drives us to want and want and want? God has blessed my family with just about everything they could every want. We have a nice house, nice clothes, food to eat and are able to take a nice vacation every now and then. And yet, I want more.  We cannot understand what it is like to go hungry, or not have a place to come in out of the cold and rain. I think that we fix our eyes on stuff, and prizes and things so much, that the really important stuff is just in the background, fuzzy and blurry.

The Beatles would have us believe that "All You Need Is Love", and in a sense that is true. I do not think they meant the love of the Father when they wrote that song, but that is  all we truly do need. The love of the Father.

Father: Forgive my greed. Forgive my silly little girl wants and continue to bless me with what I need. Thank you for the gifts you have bestowed on my family and myself. Thank you for clothing me and feeding me. Thank you for taking care of all of my needs.

OUCH!

The story of Samson and Delilah is a familiar Old Testament story to most. Samson gets his strength from his hair and his wife Delilah decided she had enough of the big boy on campus and cut his hair off. Strength GONE! Today I felt a bit like Samson. I know that my problems are so slim to most, but even so, my blog, my time to be selfish. I wrenched my back so bad, I could hardly move around today. Every little move was extremely painful. My strength normally there was gone. It was awful. I cannot imagine going through the rest of my life feeling such pain, and yet there are those among us that deal with pain such as this on a daily basis. Now, I have complained all day. Every time I moved I complained. I had my children playing fetch for me and my sweet sister nursing my back every four hours with Icy/Hot patches. What would I do if I knew that pain would never go away? Would I put on a good face and just struggle though, or would I complain continuously? I hate to say it, but I am sure I would be a complainer. How sad it is. We are given these bodies to serve Christ. We can walk, and talk and move on our own and yet one little thing, and poof, we are like Samson.

I went to a conference in Atlanta one year to hear Joni Erickson Tada. This woman is such a woman of faith. She knows no limits. However, she is paralyzed from the waist down and had to relearn to do everything. She learned to paint holding the brush with her teeth. Just listening to her struggles makes you want to cry, however, she is so gracious and THANKFUL for everything! She looks at her sorrow and counts it all joy because it brought her closer to the Father. I did not do that today. I did not count it joy. And I do not need someone to help me get in and out of a chair everyday.

Father, thank you for the sorrows in my life. Thank you for showing me that even through pain and sorrow we can find joy in it! Help me to be more appreciate of my good health and not take it for granted. Help me to help others who are in pain and need encouragement.

PLANS VS. NO PLANS

Today was a perfectly boring day! I slept in til 11:00 am. I took a shower, had breakfast and ran to get some light bulbs at the local hardware store. Then, I came home, ate again and went back to sleep. After I woke up I ate again and then claimed I was bored and needed to do something. Why am I like that? Why must my life have a schedule attached to it? I complain that my kids have too much going on and then I complain when I do not have enough to do. Boy, talk about a double standard! I think everyone needs to just take a day off every now and then and just sit for a while. It is very hard to listen when you are doing all the talking and running around! Time after time I am wishing for more hours in the day and when they are given to me on a silver platter, I complain.  I think that is how we treat God sometimes to. We need to listen for His guidance, but instead we run around making all the plans without enlisting His help or guidance.  Life is messy, why would we not seek His help??

Father help me to slow down and seek your help more. Give me the patience to wait for your guidance, instead of proceeding with my hasty plans. Thank you for giving me a day of solitude and rest and for giving me family that loves me where I am.

DRIVING MRS. CRAIG

As I sat in the passenger seat while my middle son drove for me, there were feelings of angst, sadness and joy. It is hard for me to believe that I have children that are old enough to drive. Is seems like only yesterday that I was changing diapers and washing out bottles. Time does march on doesn't it? My daddy used to tell me that time goes so much faster when you were older. He was telling the truth. Time is marching so fast I am almost afraid I will miss something. I think this is why it is so important for us to savor and enjoy the time we do have with our children. I see many parents today that over schedule their children's lives to the point they have no family time at all. Between soccer, dance, karate, voice lessons and gymnastics, there is hardly time at all for the family dinner. Although exposing your children to all of these areas is important, I do believe that our priorities are somewhat out of whack. I think the family dinner of the 1950's should return. Everyone gathered around the table to talk of their day and discuss any problems or joys from the day is something we should see several times a week, not a few times a month.

Father - Thank you for keeping my family safe on the road today. Thank you for presenting opportunities that allow us to grow closer as a family. Help prepare me for the day when I know that I will have to let my children go.

HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH?

Today my daughter had to make it through a whole day without getting on Facebook. Now the reasons why she had to endure such a travesty do not matter, but the fact that it was a bit difficult does. I try to put myself in my teenagers shoes and think what I would have done "way back when" if I had access to all of the technology they have today. Would I walk around with headphones attached to my ears? Would I read more Facebook than actual books? If I am honest I would have to say yes. We may have not had the I-Pod but we had our fair share of distractions. Being a parent is so difficult sometimes. You want so bad to find that balance between too much and not enough.  Am I strict enough? Am I letting them spend too much time on technology? Are they reading enough? Are they watching too much TV? I wonder what Mary was wondered about when her son the future King, was running around as a teenager. Did she worry? As a mother, I would love to have been at her house often. I would have let my children spend the night over there any time they wanted. That is a house I would have trusted! I guess all we can do as parents is keep plodding along and wear our knees out! Last week, my twins received their drivers licenses. Talk about a wake up call. Was Io ready to let them walk out and get in a death machine? The first time I saw them pull out of the driveway without me or my husband in the car, I must admit, I did tear up. I think that from here it is just going to get harder, and I will just have to pray more. Can you pray too much? I think the answer to that is....absolutely not!

Father: Give me strength to get through these trying, worrisome teenage years. Help me to let go when needed and to hang on tight when it is called for.  Thank you for giving me such a wonderful brood! Thank you for bringing them to faith at such an early age! Help me to show my faith to those around me in a more vibrant way.

EPIC FAIL

Today I learned something very valuable. I am not as smart as I thought I was. Now, before you start to think that I must think a lot of myself, let me clear up a few things. I am talking about being smart with a computer! I decided today would be a great day to start that online journal that I have been wanting to start for years, and I just knew it would be so very easy! Well, after three hours of painstakingly reading several articles online about how to blog, I realized that yes...I am not as smart as I thought I was. But is anyone really? Do we not all get a sense of superiority every now and then when we figure something out that we never new? Do we not all get to a point where we think no one can know more in this one specific area than me? Well, I think my problem is, I go there WAY TO MUCH! I need to sit back and listen and learn from those around me and not be so quick to think I know it all. For all my friends out there, you may have to remind me of this SEVERAL times :)

Father, I thank you today for showing me my shortcomings. Thank you for a wonderful husband who somehow manages to see past my faults. Bless my three wonderful children and keep them safe in their endeavors. Keep Josh and Jeremy safe on the road, and keep those around them safe. Thank you for friends and family that love me even when I know I am unlovable. Bless this country and those that sit on the walls to protect us. Thank your four these four walls that you have given my family as a place of protection, joy, and rest.

In his glorious name, Amen.