My oldest son, a father for the first time, shared with me that his work took on a whole new meaning since his daughter, Zoey was born. "It's all worthwhile now."
That got me  thinking about the Lord and what He did for me on the cross. He saw me, a sinner, and said, "Sharon is worth My sacrifice."  This brings me to tears with a grateful heart and words to sing in appreciation.

Amazing love, how can it be

That you my King should die for me!

Amazing love, I know it's true

That it's my joy, to honor You

In all I do, I honor you!

You are my King.

You are my King.

"I live, I ride I am!"

 Last night I had trouble sleeping and that Jeep commercial kept running through my head...I live, I ride, I am, I live, I ride, I am!" Catchy, but not in the middle of the night. I decided, in my non-sleepy-state, to change the slogan around a bit. "He died, I live, I am."

 It fits doesn't it? As a Christian I live by the truth of Christ dying for me. Because He died and rose again, I live. Therefore if I live by/in Christ, I am. 

 Now, if I only had a sleek new Jeep, I could put this on a bumper sticker. Oh well, Happy Easter!

A Ministry of Tears

"Weep with those who weep," the Bible says. I've been shedding a lot of tears lately, and not for myself. Life is extremely difficult for many people right now. A family we've known for years is battling childhood cancer for the third time with their nine year old, while another fights a different kind of cancer with a young wife and mother of four. We, the by-stander, are asked to pray, to come along side and "weep with those who weep." Because each one of our tears actually contains the love of God within the saltiness of their existence, we're invited to pour them out.

 Don't we all struggle with  what to say,  in response to tragic situations? I have. But, I've found it's not what we say, as much as what we do, in response to another's grief that counts. Therefore, I will not ever be embarrassed by my tears. Sometimes there are simply no words.

Lightning Speed!

Here it is the middle of February, things are warming (at least in the N.W.), many trees and Spring flowers are budding. I love this, but it all seems to be going too quickly...at lightning speed. Didn't we just celebrate Christmas? Do I hear an "amen," here?

When our kids are small, we can't wait for them to walk, talk, be potty trained, etc. (OK, I have to admit, I liked my kids a lot better BEFORE they talked.} It seems like yesterday my niece Katie and I were singing "You are my Sunshine," to one another, and just a couple of weeks ago, she got her driver's permit. NO WAY!

A few short years ago I graduated from High School, now my classmates are talking about having a 50 yr. reunion next year. Sorry ladies, but I will not be attending THAT reunion for at least 25 more years.

God alone numbers our days,  each one in His hands, and though life does seem to go by quickly,  I'm determined to enjoy every minute the Lord leaves me here. How about you?

Trust the Lord, with all your heart
And lean not on your own understanding
In all ways acknowledge Him
And He shall direct your paths
Prov. 3:5-6

Is it "Ho, Ho, Ho," or "No, No, No?"

Some people can't wait for Christmas (like me), but there are many others who dread it. If you're in the first category, you love it all...the music (I've been playing carols for weeks,) the shopping and of course, the tree and decorations.

The second group are the grinches. Ok, that's not a very nice word, but then, some of the "oh no's" can make it miserable for the "ho, ho, ho's." They could be your mother, your sister/brother, or like me, anonymous.

What do you do if you love Christmas and those around you can't wait for it to be over? My method is to stay focused on Jesus, and NOT just in my preparations. As I keep Him foremost in the quiet place of my heart, I remain in perfect peace. Well, maybe not perfect, but you know what I mean.

So, if you're decking the halls and all of your house, 

Forget about Grinches and that one sleeping mouse.

Open your heart and all of your mind,

Let go of worries, just leave them behind.

Look at the night star shining so bright, 

And you'll see only Jesus, His love and His might.

Now, if you're in the "oh no," category, I have nothing to say to you, except this: GET OVER YOURSELF.  OK, that might be a bit harsh. What I really mean to say is: Have a blessed, Christ filled Christmas.

Great Is Thy Faithfulness

On facebook, many of my friends there are choosing one thing everyday to be thankful for until Thanksgiving. Awesome! There's just something wonderful about being reminded of all the things God has blessed us with in this country. Most posts contain simple things, like a warm house, a cup of hot coffee, or a crackling fire. But others have walked through some huge milestones this past year.

One family will be celebrating their son's ninth birthday, and he still has a Hickman Catheter from his second bone marrow transplant. They are beyond grateful for this birthday and the healthy progress he's making.

Some are missing family members who have died this past year, but continue to be thankful for those lives, regardless. They'll never be forgotten. It's a struggle, yet they do not despair.

Others have spouses, or sons and daughters in the military, and will have empty chairs at the dining table over the holidays. Still they say: "God is good, and we are grateful."

Me? I'm grateful for the small things like that fire and a good cup of coffee. But I'm also grateful to the Lord God of the Universe for His non-stop faithfulness to me over and over again. Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me.

Here it Comes, Ready or Not!

I was in a store yesterday, waiting for my husband who was running an errand. I slowly walked from rack to rack, not really paying attention to what was playing on the overhead speakers. But soon I began humming along.  Hummm...dreaming...hummm...of...hmmm...a white...What? Excuse me? A Christmas Carol, they were playing/I was singing, a Christmas Carol on Nov. 3rd. No way! Yes way!

Don't get me wrong, I love the holidays, especially Christmas. But there needs to be a law stating Christmas Carols cannot be played during the first week of November.

Regardless, I refuse to get caught up in any marketing ploys used to push people into the yearly shopping frenzy. I will continue to keep Jesus at the center of the celebration and focus on the gift of His birth.

How about you?

DECK THE HALLS WITH BOUGHS OF HOLLY, FALALALALALALA!