Christmas Joy, Peace, & Love December 16, 2009

Let’s celebrate this Christmas season by experiencing God’s joy, peace, and love!

Let’s be filled with the joy of Christ’s birth, the joy of our family and friends, the joy of giving!

Let’s rest in His peace, the peace that allows us to be still and rest in His blessings and gift of salvation through His Son!

Let’s show God’s love to everyone around us through our thoughts, words, and actions.

I pray that each day of this holiday season we all let go of our desire to control and grab hold of His desire of joy, peace, and love!

Christmas Control December 14, 2009

Despite our best attempts at just enjoying the holidays and truly focusing on the Reason for the Season, we tend to shift into the ‘Christmas Control’ gear. Why? Because that’s often our default response to things. We like to take things in our own hands, make sure everything is just right, meet the holiday expectations we’ve set for ourselves. It’s kind of funny to me that we all acknowledge and admit the ‘hustle and bussel’ of this time of year. It’s the norm of Christmas and we have to remain in ‘Christmas Control’ in order to keep up!

Control is one of my main struggles. Like most women, I want to be in control, look in control, feel in control . . . have it all together. Ironically, the less I feel in control, the more I try to control. I wish it wasn’t true, but I’d much rather be in control than vulnerable.

But when we’re in control, we’re missing out!!! We are missing out on an incredible world of being vulnerable, experiencing God fully, letting Him work, portraying His beauty, living in His grace . . . celebrating true Christmas joy, peace, and love!

Joy, Peace, and Love . . . December 12, 2009

This is such a wonderful time of year!  ‘Merry’ just fits the atmosphere!  Christmas decorations everywhere.  Christmas music playing in the stores.  Scents of peppermint and gingerbread in the air.  Just makes me happy.

I’m guessing we’ve all been checking the lists of gifts we’re giving, parties we’re attending, and goodies we’re baking.  Whether we admit it or not, we’re planning what the next few weeks will be like, what all we need to do before and during, what we’ll take with us where, what outfit we’ll be wearing to which event . . . even what outfit we’ll wear twice but around totally different people of course.   We’ve got it all under control, right?

So where does the joy, peace, and love of this season fit into all of this?

A Beautiful Fit December 7, 2009

First, I need God.  Second, I need hubby, my real man.

‘The desires of a man’s heart and the desires of a woman’s heart were at least meant to fit beautifully together. A woman in the presence of a good man, a real man, loves being a woman. His strength allows her feminine heart to flourish. His pursuit draws out her beauty. And a man in the presence of a real woman loves being a man. Her beauty arouse him to play the man, draws out his strength. She inspires him to be a hero.’ – John & Stasi Eldredge

Tell your spouse you need them . . . better yet, show them.

Needed December 6, 2009

I think we all want to be needed.  We attach our value to meeting those needs.  We also can all honestly say we like to be wanted and definitely see our value in fulfilling those wants.  Then we have all those expectations we’ve set for ourselves . . . no wonder we wear ourselves out!

The irony, though, is as I go around trying to meet the needs, fulfill the wants, live up to my silly expectations of perfection, I tend to overlook or even deny my genuine needs and wants.  This lesson continues to be a tough one to learn.  I laugh when I think that I find such fulfillment in helping others, but I don’t easily accept help myself.  Heck, I have a tough time even admitting my weaknesses to get the help!

Why do we want to be strong? Have it all together? Be in control?  Have everything in order? Do everything correctly? Yet be all beautiful, lovely, and calm at all times?

Here’s my #1 need:  I need Him.  I need my Lord.  I need His Holy Spirit to fill me.

I need His unconditional love. I need His amazing grace. I need His wisdom and beauty. I need Him in my marriage. I need Him at work throughout the day. I need Him with my family. I need Him with my friends. I need Him when I serve, give, do. I need Him when I run.  I need Him when I’m alone.

I also NEED Him to fully grasp how much He WANTS me!   Now there’s the beauty, love, and peace I search for . . .

We all need Him.  Let’s celebrate this need this Christmas season!

Champagne Glasses August 13, 2008

This is totally random, but I’ve devloped a thing for champagne glasses.  Call me crazy, but I see a lot of meaning in them.  And I’m not talking about the actual champagne buzz.

I see a lot of simplicity and class in these little glasses.  Almost every time they are used, it is during a celebration and a happy time.

Simplicity. Class. Celebration. Happy.  That’s why I’m loving champagne glasses!  They aren’t quite my lovely pearls, but they’re getting close!

What The?! Hell?! August 10, 2008

Got your attention?

Do you believe in hell?  Do you live like you believe in hell?

This weekend’s message at LifeChurch.tv was pretty stirring.  We’re doing a series called So You’re Dead . . . Now What?  This week’s topic was hell.  Good, good stuff!

I’d definitely recommend watching the message online Tuesday night at 8:00 or when it becomes available on Wednesday (just go to www.lifechurch.tv).  But I wanted to share some points that really got me.

Do you really believe in hell?  Like everlasting torment? Isolation? Burning?  (the scripture is pretty blunt)

Do you know who Jesus was talking to every time he discussed hell?
The religious people.  Not the prostitutes or beggars or criminals.  But the ‘righteous’.  They’ve got lots of head knowledge, but He was concerned about their hearts.  (Sounds a bit too relevant for today.)

If you believe in hell, do you live like it?  Do you share your faith like it?  Ugh, gut check for me!

There is nothing in scripture that talks about being comfortable.  I would much rather be filled with the Consuming Fire here on earth filled with joy rather than tormenting fire in eternity.

This Season’s Mottos July 24, 2008

Change what you can and be flexible with the rest
I am aware of my roles and responsibilities and the personal choices I can make throughout the day to be happy and healthy.  But there are and will be lots of things that will require flexibility.

Some things you can’t control, but you can choose how you’ll respond.
I’m learning what affects my mood, attitudes, and productivity.  I also realize there are many things that require me to just go with the flow.  But I can control the things that make the biggest impact on my response.

Enjoy the blessings and His grace and goodness!
Gerardo and I know medical school will have a large impact on our lives, our finances, our time, and our marriage.  But what excites me is knowing God desires for it to be a wonderfully positive one full of blessings!

So You Want the Answers, Huh?! July 21, 2008

Well, Kevin Watson and Kelly Shinn answered the first two riddles correctly, so check out the comments on those two!!!

Now I haven’t received any responses to these last three so post what you think the answers are!

I’ll give you all a day or two!

Three More Riddles July 20, 2008

What is black when you buy it, red when you use it, and gray when you throw it away ?

 

Can you name three consecutive days without using the words Wednesday, Friday, or Sunday?

 

This is an unusual paragraph. I’m curious as to just how quickly you can find out what is so unusual about it. It looks so ordinary and plain that you would think nothing was wrong with it. In fact, nothing is wrong with it! It is highly unusual though. Study it and think about it, but you still may not find anything odd. But if you work at it a bit, you might find out. Try to do so without any coaching!