Tis the Season

The past two days have been full; too full!  This lady likes to ease into her day, stroll through it and then ease herself out of it...
Not much frustrates me, but shopping is definitely something that can. 
It is that time of year.  I try to keep it simple and do shop online as much as possible, but inevitably I must venture out into the chaotic world of malls and such.  Yesterday was the day.
As the day wore on a mantra began in my head.  "I hate shopping, I hate shopping, I hate shopping!"  It wouldn't be half bad if I could just find and purchase what I went into any given store to buy.  But, no-o-o!  Did I really expect it to be that easy?!
Just shopping for my family is no easy task:  Four sons, two daughter-in-laws, two potential daughter-in-laws (I hope!), two grandkids and one great-grand (!), not counting a few other family members!  I gave up on the friend gift-exchange a few years ago.
What complicates things is that three of our four sons are six foot four and do not fit in the "normal" assortment of clothes that are offered in the stores.  It seems that if a store offers such clothing they also presume the man is BIG, as in WIDE.  Just doesn't work for our guys. 
I finished off the day with a trip to COSTCO.  It wasn't the location that I usually shop at and everything was turned around.  This did not make me happy.
The way that I got myself through that store was with a promise of a treat afterward, a vanilla chai from Dunkin Donuts!  Could I find a DD anywhere close by afterward?  Of course not.
So suffice it to say, I was draggin by the time I got home.

I had fully intended to sit down yesterday evening to share a few thoughts in a post.  My day had started gloriously.  Papa had blessed my heart and I wanted to share it with you.  All I wanted to do was write, but cannot do so under the gun, so had to put it off.
By the time I arrived home there was nothing left in my head, except for the mantra of the day.
But today is a new day and I am refreshed, so I will be sharing these blessings with you.
However, it will have to be later because I have errands to run and appointments to keep.  If you read this before I return, please pray that the mantra does not recommence before I return!!

Love

Today I have been thinking about love.  This morning I sent a text to my sons which shared two thoughts from scripture:  "Love never fails," and  "God is Love."
If we forget the second we will struggle with the first.
Loving on our own doesn't work really well.  At least not for long.
Even with both in focus we wonder, at times, how He would have us go about loving others.

I say forget trying!
What??!
Aren't we suppose to love others?  Aren't we suppose to be unselfish??
Yes.
Yet, it seems that when I make that the focus, things get skewed.

How about we love Papa and seek to make Him smile?  I find it very freeing to have Him as my focus.  He did come to set us free and to make us "free indeed."

He is the Glorious One and when my eyes and heart are fixed on Him everything falls into its proper place, including me.  I relax.  I stop trying, because He whispers to my heart that He loves me and find pleasure in me.  God is for me!  He's my Savior, my Friend, my Papa!

If such thoughts and feelings are filling our hearts and minds they will spill over onto others.
I am often amazed at how, once I get "still and know that He is God," the walls start tumbling down around me.

Tomorrow morning there is a little Christmas brunch at a local ministry where Ray and I volunteered.  He has therapy, but I don't, so I will be joining my dear friends.  I was asked to share a few thoughts.  I think I will share this posting with them.
Ministering in love can be challenging.  There will be those who feel entitled of the help, those who are ungrateful, those who are dishonest.  Of course, there are those who are so grateful, so humble, but those are not the ones we struggle to love!

If I remember that I am "accepted in the Beloved" and "seated in Heavenly places", then the difficult ones will be easier to love.  It becomes less of an effort when I remember Who loves me.

There is a Christmas song about Love coming down.  Yes, Love came down on purpose.  Love came down to me, who was very unloveable.
At the time I wasn't even willing to be loved.  Yet, He came.
This God of very gods...This King of kings and LORD of lords...
He came for me...He came for you...He came for each one..

I love the sixth verse found in Isaiah nine.  It is a familiar one that is often used at this time of year.
"For a Child will be born to us, a Son will be given to us;
And the government will rest on His shoulders'
And His Name will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace."

This One with so many titles and so many names came down out of and in and as Love.
Love carries the day!

Tizzies

Being human isn't easy.  We are complicated creatures, at least I am!
It amazes me how such a range of emotions can be felt in a very brief time span.  I imagine that, at times, my brain is in one big tizzy!   Just as something, whether word, action, image or whatever, triggers an emotion then BANG another, then another; with each comes a related emotion.  Yikes!!
It can wear a person out!

I enjoy sitting here and sharing my thoughts.  Often there will be something on my heart that I know I'm to put into a posting.   I can become very singleminded and do not like it when I cannot find the time to write.
Life justs get too full sometimes.  Quite regularly it fills with things that I have little control over.
This is when I need to remember that Papa is still in control and that He will help me find the time for what He has for me to do.  That includes any writing that I am to do.

Just this morning I told Him that it is my prayer that my life would reflect the fact that I have received Good News of Great Joy.  May that be evident first to Papa and then to everyone else around me!
So that means I cannot be stewing over not being able to do what I want when I want!

What other emotions have been swirling in this head of mine?
Probably more than I even know!  However, one I know for certain is gratitude.  Gratitude for how so much more than our needs are met every day.  So many show such kindnesses to us. 
Yes, people are kind and supportive.  Many are cheering us on and get excited to hear of Ray's progress.  Today was no exception.  Someone I was speaking with was so happy to hear of my honey's latest gains.
During the conversation I realized that I was not feeling the joy like my friend.  Afterward I gave it some thought.
Of course, I am thrilled over how Papa is working in Ray's physical body.  He has come a long way.  The problem is that many have no idea of just how changed our lives and relationship are because of Ray's condition.  They can't really know, but their ignorance just seems to remind me of how different many things are now.

What to do with all that churns within me?  There is only one answer.
Go to Papa.
 
In Psalm twenty-seven I read:
"One thing I have asked from the LORD, that I shall seek;
That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life,
To behold the beauty of the LORD,
And to meditate in His temple.
For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle;
In the secret place of His tent He will hide me;
He will lift me up on a rock.
And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me;
And I will offer in His tent sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing, yes I will sing praises to the LORD."
 
Sometimes those "enemies" are within oneself. 
When I worship Him the focus is on Him and in looking up, my head and heart are lifted up by the One I look to!  For He is still and always on the Throne!  And this King, this Holy One loves me and intends to work all things out for good in my life!
That stirs my heart and make my heart spin.  It is a good tizzy this time!

Connection

This morning an Advent breakfast was held for the women of our area.  A friend of mine and I have been attending for a number of years.  It has become the way we like to start the season.  Mindy joined us this year.
What a joy to have my precious daughter-in-law seated beside me!

Earlier in the morning I had a little time with Papa.  As I read His Word, along with a couple of devotionals, I did so with Advent in mind.  No matter where you read or what you read it isn't difficult to see the connection.
God come to earth!  What a gift!  Really there are many gifts contained within that gift.   In First John today it spoke of the gift of life that is ours in Jesus.  Not just any life, but eternal life!  Stopping to reflect on Him and all He offers stirs the mind and heart!
I wanted to list as many gifts as I could, but had to shift gears and get ready for the breakfast....

Sitting among hundreds of women, many that I know, I was aware of another gift.
A sense of belonging.  A oneness in Him.  No division.
Unity.
Among...
       those who had given of their time and talents to bring the gathering together...
       all of us...
                rising as a body to sing
                bowing our heads and hearts together in prayer
                enjoying time to visit with one another

A connection that brings together hearts from many walks of life.  Yes, connected solely because of Him.  No club, career, talent, interest, family or anything else can compare to the connection that is ours because of Him.

Ray was enjoying some connecting of his own.  The men of our church enjoy getting together every month for breakfast and a Bible study.  That happened this morning.  My honey was in attendance!  A dear friend picked him up at six-thirty AM.  He was ready, which amazed me, because I usually have trouble getting him up by nine in the morning!

In His Word Papa urges us to spend time together.  He wants us to enjoy the connectedness.  We encourage one another.  It is part of the abundant life.  Being together our spirits overflow with love and joy

This morning it wasn't just our spirits that were filled to overflow.  Food was involved. 
Of course, the ladies know how to do a breakfast.  The buffet was large, varied and delicious!
The men?  Egg sandwich on a hamburger bun!

Joy

Papa put a particular message on my heart in the spring of last year.  I had the privilege of sharing it with a group of lovely ladies about a year ago.  It was entitled "Oh, the Joy!"
He brought it back to me this morning.

"And the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which shall be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the LORD."  This is found in the second chapter of Luke.  If I had been writing it myself, exclamation points would have been used very generously throughout!

No need to fear!!
Behold!!!
Good News!!!
Great Joy!!!  For everyone!!!
A Savior!!!!!!!!
Christ the LORD!!!!!!!!!!

Jesus' birth ushers in Joy. 
The Gift of God is sent in Love and wrapped in Joy.
All we need do is receive it.  It is readily available at all times.
Yes, at all times!

Today marks day four of a miserable chest cold.  Last night I was up quite a while with a pain in my shoulder that wouldn't quit.  Excedrin did not help.  A muscle relaxer taken this morning hasn't helped.
I do not like to take any medication, so you know I am hurting.
Yet...

This morning was a time of joy; joy in His Presence!
Joy is a fruit of the Spirit, His Spirit.  It is not contingent upon circumstances.  It is not something we have to stir up on our own.  Not possible and definitely not sustainable.
As Papa and I enjoyed each other's company, He spoke to my heart.  He reminded me that trials are temporary and even as we are in the midst of them, they cannot separate us from His Love!
Reflecting upon that truth, receiving it and resting in it opens us up for more joy.

Yes, Oh, the Joy!!

The Revealer

Matthew tells us that Jesus asked His disciples a question, "But who do you say that I am?"
That question really is for each one of us, individually.

Who do I say You are my Jesus?
Ah...
You are the God revealer.  You came, in part, to show us the Father.
To see You is to see the Father.
To know You is to know the Father.

Imagine that.  A Baby is born one night in Bethlehem.  Not unusual.  Many babes were born on a regular basis in Bethlehem, so no surprise there.  Yet, so unusual.
No other came from the glories of Heaven.
No other were from a virgin birth.
No other came to die for us.
No other reveals the Living God.

The Living God.  Not far off, but right here; right where we are; right now.
Emmanuel.  God with us.

So as we wend our way through this month, day two calls, once again, for us to worship. 
Worship Emmanuel!!

Countdown

For many years the first of December marked the beginning of "Countdown to Christmas!"  We had a variety of advent calendars hanging here and there whose activities our sons enjoyed taking part in each day.  One year, when they were all teenagers and had turned their noses up at such juvenile activites, I decided not to bring them all out.  After all, it would have been solely for my benefit, or so I thought.  Jonathan noticed immediately and chastised me for such neglect.  In his opinion something would be missing in the whole advent season without them.
Since that time I have been careful to hang each one and dutifully keep them up to date!

I have my own type of countdown.  December usually finds me seeking to focus on what Advent is all about.  This year is no different.
Today I read the first chapter of Revelation and I noted in my journal what I learned about this One Whose birthday we celebrate.
This Jesus, who became flesh and blood is so much more than anyone could ever imagine! 
Max Lucado wrote a small book about the incarnation.  I do not recall its title, but it was about the journey the Glory of Heaven took to earth.  It is a worthwhile read.
Here's what I found in Revelation:

This Holy One, who is Glorious desires to communicate with us...
Through Him we have grace and peace...
He is God's Faithful Witness..
          The First born from the dead
          Ruler of kings
He loves us...
He released us from our sins...
He made us part of His kingdom...
           We are His priests
Glory and dominion are His..
He is coming...
He is the beginning and the end of all things...
He is Almighty...
He is the Living One...
He lives forever; there's no death in His future...
He holds the keys to death and hell...

When I reflect on the Christmas story, I will not stop at an innocent Babe in the manger.  That isn't what Papa intends. 
We need to join the shepherds, who when they gazed upon that Baby; worshipped!
Worship happens when we recognize who His is. 
He is worthy!