Learning, loving, living…with purpose.
A few days ago Chelsea found her Valentine box in my closet. She pulled out each card and studied them. Then she calmly said, “Wow, a lot of people love me. All of these cards have my name on them.”
I love you, sweet girl.
“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1 NIV)
We celebrated our freedom a day early, and today we’re relaxing. For the third year in a row, we enjoyed local fireworks along with a patriotic concert from our city’s symphony orchestra. The weather was perfect. The music and fireworks were wonderful as always.
I couldn’t resist including last year’s picture because it is one of my favorites, and I love to see how much they have changed in a year.
“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” John 8:36
“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.” Romans 8:1, 2
I am grateful for the freedom we possess in this country, but I am also thankful for my freedom in Christ, which cannot be taken away.
“Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.” Luke 24:5-7
If you are a believer, this is my prayer for you on this Resurrection Day:
“…that you may know him better….that you may know the hope to which he has called you…and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms…” Ephesians 1:17-20
The same power that raised Jesus from the dead resides in you! You have the power to overcome any obstacle you face. You have the power to break any chain that binds you. You have the power to dispel any fear that imprisons you. You have the power to say no to any temptation that entices you. There is nothing that God cannot do in and through you!
If you are not a friend of Jesus, my prayer for you this day is that you will be still and know that He is God. May you follow Him when He whispers your name.
I’m not big on the whole bunny, chick, dyed egg, candy deal at Easter time. I’m not saying you shouldn’t do those things at your house. By all means, have a blast! I’m just saying we don’t do them here. Our kids do egg hunts at school and at church, and we enjoy those fun times, but at home we try to focus on Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection.
For the last few years we have used Resurrection Eggs to talk about Easter. I highly recommend them. Yesterday, I saw a great idea on Marla Taviano’s blog. I think it will become an annual tradition in our family.
I drew red dots on Caleb and Chelsea’s hands and told them the dots represent the place where the nails pierced Jesus’ hands. He shed His blood for us. “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5
Then I read Isaiah 49:15, 16, which says, “I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands.” God loves us so much that our names are written on His hands. He will never forget us.
Jesus died for Caleb.
Jesus died for Chelsea.
Jesus died for Kevin.
Jesus died for Lisa.
Jesus died for You.
Caleb drew this a couple weeks ago.
Chelsea had to be like big brother and drew her own version.
These pictures are sunny and cheerful, but Good Friday was actually dark and sorrowful. Jesus Christ was beaten, spat upon, mocked, whipped, insulted, and nailed to a cross. Willingly. For you and for me. He could have easily refused to go through with it. “Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?” (Matthew 26:53) But He chose to die a cruel and agonizing death so He wouldn’t have to live without you and me for all eternity. If that isn’t a picture of true love, I don’t know what is.
He was sinless, but He chose to take our sin upon Himself and be punished for us so we won’t have to be punished. (2 Corinthians 5:21)
Imagine I am crossing a busy street, and I don’t see a car coming straight at me. A man jumps out and pushes me away from the car to save me. The man is struck by the car and killed. I would be eternally indebted to that man and his family for saving my life and dying in my place. Would I keep his good deed to myself? No way. I would tell everyone. You wouldn’t be able to shut me up. I would live to honor him, and I would do everything I could to make sure his family was loved and cared for.
That’s what Jesus did for me. He died in my place. How can I not live for Him?
St. Patrick’s Day!
I wanted to write about the real Saint Patrick, but I’m having trouble making time for research today. Actually, I’m debating about taking a sabbatical from blogging for a while. I have gotten behind on a few other important things. I really feel I need to put some other things to rest, but man I so love blogging more often.
And you guys are blowing me away–20, 40, 60 hits a day (even 100 hits one day!). Thank you! I would love to devote 4 or 5 hours a day to the blog community, but then I would REALLY be neglecting my responsibilities. So we’ll see. I’m going to do my best to keep everything balanced, but if you don’t hear from me for a while, you’ll know why.
Hope you are having a great Wednesday!
Looking back…
What’s the point of having goals if you don’t evaluate how well you met them? Here’s how I did:
My Goals For This Christmas Season
I will NOT…
1. stay up until 1 a.m. on Christmas Eve wrapping presents. I finished all my wrapping by 9:30 and spent the rest of the night reading and blogging. Woohoo!
2. spend over my budget. I overspent by $34. This is a huge improvement for me. In the past I overspent by hundreds each year, so yay me. Next year, I need to get it down to zero or less.
3. pull out every decoration I own. I only put out about 50% of my decorations and about 75% of my ornaments. It was much quicker and much less overwhelming.
I will…
1. watch the Nativity Story (great movie!). I watched it on Christmas night after the kiddos went to bed. I am so amazed by Mary. That woman rocks. I can’t wait to meet her one day.
2. read Touching Wonder: Recapturing the Awe of Christmas by John Blase. I read half of it. Great book. I looked at many Christmas books this year. I didn’t want one about Five Ways to have a Better Christmas. I wanted one about the incarnation. Just give me Jesus. This book did that. The only reason I didn’t finish it is was because I was reading another book at the same time and couldn’t put it down. I finished “Same Kind of Different as Me” on Christmas Eve–a Christmas gift from God:
This incredible book deserves a post of its own, but for now…If you have a heart for the poor and homeless, read this book. If you struggle with stereotyping, prejudice, or favoritism (like me), read this book. If you love a true story, read this book. If you want to see how God uses ordinary people to do amazing things, read this book. You’ll thank me.
3. spend time daily in the Word (especially in Matthew and Luke) looking for new nuggets of truth about Christmas. Check.
4. spend lots of time snuggling on the couch under a warm blanket with my two little munchkins reading Christmas books. Lots and lots of time. Wonderful memories. Thank you, Jesus.
5. be like Jesus’ friend Mary and sit at Jesus’ feet listening to Him. “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:41 I’m becoming more and more acquainted with Mary’s ways and less and less with Martha’s. Spent lots of time sitting, reading, and listening to Jesus.
Looking ahead…
I don’t do New Year’s Resolutions. I have tried in the past, and I never kept them. A long list is too much to keep up with. Instead, I ask God what He wants the theme of my year to be–something that He wants to teach me. I got this idea from my friend Jenny F a few years ago.
This year’s theme is breaking my approval addiction. You know…the obsession with what people think of me instead of total dependence on and security in God. My self-esteem is also tied up in this addiction, so that needs an overhaul too. I’ve struggled with this for several years. I distinctly remember it in college, but it probably started before that. I’ve tried and tried to overcome it in the past, but it keeps sneaking back up to the surface. It’s been particularly ugly in the past six months, so I wasn’t surprised when God said, “We’re going to put an end to this in 2010.”
So that’s it. I’ll meet you back here at the end of 2010 and let you know how it went.
And I’d love to hear your goals and themes (or resolutions) too. If you want to share, leave a comment.
Good-bye 2009. Hello 2010. Here’s a summary of our blessings from the last 12 months:
January–Caleb played Upward Basketball at our church. Chelsea started her first dance class, which was a pre-school combo class with ballet, tap, and tumbling.
February–We celebrated Caleb’s 6th birthday on the 4th, and with sadness we lost Kevin’s grandfather Jerome on the same day. Jerome suffered from Parkinson’s disease, and while we were grieved at his passing, we took comfort in knowing he went to be with Jesus. He was 86 years old. This picture was taken in 2007:
Also in February, Kevin and I travelled to Iowa to attend the wedding of my dear friend Heather. I had a great time catching up with some college friends.
March–Kevin enjoyed his annual trip to the NASCAR race in Bristol, TN, and Caleb joined him for the first time.
April–We took a day trip to the new aquarium in Atlanta. Kevin took a four-day business training trip to San Diego.
May–Kevin went to Charleston for a short business training trip. Caleb graduated from Kindergarten. Chelsea performed in her first dance recital on the big stage!
June–Caleb played baseball at the YMCA. The kids and I went to NY for 11 days while Kevin took a nine-day mission trip to Ecuador. This was Kevin’s first trip to Ecuador.
July–Chelsea took a week-long summer dance class. We hosted a five-day Backyard Bible Club at our house. We camped for the first time (in our backyard!). I went to my first non-technical writer’s conference, called She Speaks, in Charlotte.
August–We took a four-day family vacation to Pigeon Forge, TN, and we drove through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Caleb started 1st grade. Chelsea started K-3 pre-school two mornings per week. Chelsea started her second year of dance class.
September–My mom came for a four-day visit.
October–I went on a two-day women’s retreat in Lake Junaluska, NC, with friends from church. My brother Mark visited us for two weeks. Caleb went on his first father/son church camping trip.
November–We enjoyed celebrating Thanksgiving with Kevin’s family.
December–Chelsea turned 4 years old on the 8th. Our Christmas season was intentionally relaxed and stress-free this year, which was so nice! We celebrated Christmas with Kevin’s family early on the 19th, and then my parents arrived at our house on the 28th. We enjoyed the extended holiday season.
Kevin’s highlight of the year was his mission trip to Ecuador. After five annual mission trips to NYC, he decided it was time to try something new. The main difference between the trips was Kevin’s ability to not only share Christ but also to disciple new believers and start a church for them. Back at home, Kevin completed his fifth year working at the hospital, where he continues to enjoy his job as Financial Controller. His other ministries remained consistent: weekly accountability group, deacon, prayer leader, and Sunday School teacher. Kevin increased his exercising schedule by running four times a week, and he got serious about eating healthy (to lower his cholesterol levels).
My biggest challenge of the year was working with a chiropractor to correct the scoliosis I have had since high school. Scoliosis, poor posture, stress, and several other factors have caused numerous problems including degenerated discs and fused vertebrae. Thankfully, I have had very little pain associated with these problems, but I do have a very long process of therapy ahead of me. Although the therapy has been time-consuming, I am grateful these problems were discovered before they became worse. The most important lesson I learned from this trial is how to manage stress and prevent it from further damaging my spine and overall health. I didn’t let these issues keep me from enjoying my supper club, prayer group, and involvement with the women’s ministry team at church. I also enjoyed spending more time writing on my blog this year.
Caleb taught himself to swim this summer, and he also learned to ride his bike without training wheels. Our sweet boy is definitely coming out of his shell and gaining more confidence. Caleb has thoroughly enjoyed 1st grade, and the transition from half-day kindergarten to full-day 1st grade was easy because he has the same teacher as last year, and most of the children are the same classmates he had last year. My favorite quote from Caleb this year came when I told him to chew on the left side of his mouth to avoid tooth pain. He said, “I’m not left-handed, and I’m not left-chewed.”
Chelsea continues to be our little social butterfly. She absolutely adores pre-school, and she would go everyday if she could have her way. Chelsea’s favorite activity is drawing and making crafts, and she enjoys dressing up like a princess. My favorite Chelsea quote this year was when she said, “I wish I was a butterfly, and I wish I had pink eyes.”
We hope you had a wonderful Christmas, and may God bless you in the New Year!
This has been the best Christmas season for me in at least seven years. Why? No stress. I determined to scale back this year, and for the first time in nearly a decade I did just that. Less shopping, less decorating, no crafts, no baking, and (gasp!) no Christmas letter. I intended to write a letter, but I ran out of time, so instead of stressing about it, I decided to put it off until later. Freedom!
In past years I was all Martha: doing, doing, doing all December. There were years when I picked up my Bible one or two times the whole Christmas season. No wonder Christmas had become empty to me. This year I was all Mary: sitting, reading, and listening to Jesus. God has given me some of the greatest blessings this December.
–I did not find Christmas in my Hallmark Keepsake Ornament collection.
–I did not find Christmas in green and red wrapping paper covering toys my kids don’t need.
–I did not find Christmas in a sales flyer or at the mall.
–I found Christmas in a guitar solo of The Little Drummer Boy at church.
–I found Christmas in Caleb reading scripture during a chapel service at school.
–I found Christmas in Kevin when he said something he appreciated about every person in our Sunday School class on Sunday.
–I found Christmas in the teary eye of a single mom when I handed her a gift.
–I found Christmas in Caleb when he bought twelve baby chicks for a family in a developing country.
–I found Christmas in quiet moments reading God’s Word.
–I found Christmas in snuggly moments reading Christmas books to Caleb and Chelsea.
–I found Christmas in Chelsea when she made up a song and sang, “We have lots of presents, but it’s not about presents. It’s all about Jesus.”
Thank you, Jesus, for helping me find peace and love in Christmas and for showing me how to truly enjoy the season instead of just surviving it.
A few weeks ago I was dreading the coming of the Christmas season. In the past I have enjoyed decorating, buying gifts, and making goodies for family and neighbors, but I usually went overboard. The season would turn into one big stress, and I would come to the end of December feeling like I had missed the whole point. I was letting a bunch of ”good things” take the place of the best thing–time with God.
This year I asked God to show me how I could enjoy the season and not get caught up in the stress. He told me to spend time with Him. Take time to marvel at and discover the wonder of Jesus’ birth. Make that the priority this season. I have very little desire to decorate or make treats or buy gifts. Although I will do those things, they will be minimized this year.
My Goals For This Christmas Season
I will NOT…
1. stay up until 1 a.m. on Christmas Eve wrapping presents.
2. spend over my budget.
3. pull out every decoration I own.
I will…
1. watch the Nativity Story (great movie!).
2. read Touching Wonder: Recapturing the Awe of Christmas by John Blase.
3. spend time daily in the Word (especially in Matthew and Luke) looking for new nuggets of truth about Christmas.
4. spend lots of time snuggling on the couch under a warm blanket with my two little munchkins reading Christmas books.
5. be like Jesus’ friend Mary and sit at Jesus’ feet listening to Him. “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:41
How do you prevent the holidays from becoming too stressful? What goals do you have for keeping Christ at the center? I’d love to hear your comments!
