It's A Wonderful Life!

I think probably most people are familiar with the movie "It;'s A Wonderful Life!"  For those who aren't, it's a story about a man named George Bailey who arrives at a place in life when he's about to lose everything he's worked so hard for.

"After George Bailey wishes he had never been born, an angel is sent to earth to make George's wish come true. George starts to realize how many lives he has changed and impacted, and how they would be different if he was never there."

And then, at the end of the movie, all the townspeople show up to help him out of his desperate situation and he realizes just how rich his life has been.

What Child is This?

What child is this, who, laid to rest

On Mary's lap is sleeping?

Whom angels greet with anthems sweet,

While shepherds watch are keeping?

This, this is Christ the King,

Whom shepherds guard and angels sing:

Haste, haste to bring Him laud,

The babe, the son of Mary.

What Child is This?

Pray for Peace

"Said the king to the people everywhere

Listen to what I say

Pray for peace people everywhere

Listen to what I say

The child, the child

Sleeping in the night

He will bring us goodness and light

He will bring us goodness and light."

Pray for peace.

Do You Know What I Know?

"Said the Shepard boy to the mighty king

Do you know what I know

In your palace warm mighty king

Do you know what I know

A child, a child

Shivers in the cold

Let us bring him silver and gold

Let us bring him silver and gold."

Do you know, mighty king, who this child is?

Do You Hear What I Hear?

"Said the little lamb to the shepherd boy

Do you hear what I hear

Ringing through the sky shepherd boy

Do you hear what I hear

A song, a song

High above the trees

With a voice as big as the sea

With a voice as big as the sea"

Do you hear?

Do You See What I See?

"Said the night wind to the little lamb
Do you see what I see?
Way up in the sky little lamb
Do you see what I see

A star, a star

Dancing in the night

With a tail as big as a kite
With a tail as big as a kite."

I found myself thinking and pondering on these words of a popular Christmas tune this morning. 

Do I see?  Do you see?  What do we see?  What do we need to see?

No Hurry, Be Happy

Light filtered through the curtains and I was thrilled that I had slept in.  I figured it was probably about 7:30 and that felt wonderful after many mornings of 6:30 rising times.  I rolled over in bed and looked at the clock - 9:33!!!  Holy cow!!

On the Shores of Lake Michigan

With sadness in my heart, I waved good-bye to Cindee.  She looked so alone standing at the end of the driveway to The Fairy Cottage to see us off.  My heart grieved because I knew I might never see her again on this earth and she had touched my heart and life so profoundly with her love and affirmation.

The Adventure

I am usually not a very patient person,  It's truly one of my major flaws.  Ask anyone who knows me well and they will undoubtedly agree. So, as I am standing in a very long line to reschedule my cancelled flight home, some not very kind thoughts are streaming through my mind.  Not only am I feeling very impatient with the airline, I am not feeling too kindly toward my fellow travelers, either.

A Tribute to My Dad

My Dad died two weeks ago today.

I had just arrived at work; hadn’t even been there 5 minutes yet.  Hadn’t even had a chance to turn on the computer, when my cell phone rang.  I looked at the number on the screen and I just knew in my heart already what the caller was going to tell me.

The Pursuit of Happiness

"The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well."  

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Perhaps this is where our problem lies.  We have pursued happiness as our goal and our purpose in life.  When happiness becomes our goal and purpose, we are forever pursuing it and it is forever just out of our reach.

For what makes us truly happy?

A Prison Visit

I'm welcoming a guest to my blog page today.  Leslie Leyland Fields is a favorite of mine.  She writes with an honesty and transparency that really blesses me.  This blog is about forgiveness, something we all struggle with at one time or another and something we can never read too much about.  I feel this is especially appropriate at this time of year, as we celebrate Easter.  We acknowledge Jesus' death which bought our forgiveness from God, and His resurrection, which assures us of eternal life.  Pull up the chair next to Leslie's and let's chat.

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It's Spring Break. I should be writing about hummingbirds and daffodils, which are here in abundance these few thousand miles from Kodiak (glory!!). But I'm writing about prison instead. I was there last night. In my semi-sleep. I was remembering something very painful that happened a year ago. I was plotting a way to hurt this person back. (What, me? The woman who wrote Forgiving Our Fathers and Mothers: Finding Freedom from Hate and Hurt??  Yes, me. I need to forgive and be forgiven as often as I need my daily bread.) 

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Not A Fan of Spring

Last Friday, at precisely 6:45pm, spring arrived!

As I walked out of my house, headed down my walkway to my car, I saw abandoned sleds in the yard, deserted sticks that long ago had been made into swords by creative children, dried up dog droppings, filthy, muddy snow, sand and salt covered walkways, bare trees and all other sorts of ugliness.

A Father Delights in His Daughter

Continuing on my thread from Monday's post, I've done a lot of thinking about how my husband delighted in our daughters and that carried over into thinking about how much God delights in His daughters.

"Behold, my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delights..."

Isaiah 42:1

What I Want My Daughters to Know

They come and go as they please.  

They hit me at odd times.  

Just this morning I was overwhelmed by them during my devotional time.

Memories!

More specifically, memories of my husband.

Memories of the kind of father he was to our two daughters.

Fifty Shades of . . . . Grey?

"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.  If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.  And the world passes away, and the lust thereof: but he that does the will of God abides for ever."

1 John 2:15-17

First off, I will say I have not read the book nor seen the movie Fifty Shades of Grey, neither do I plan to.  So, how can someone critique something they have not read nor seen?  Let me just say I don't need to wallow at the dump to know it will stink!

Love, Enabled by Grace

Over the past several months, the Lord has been teaching me a great deal about love.  Many situations have come into my life that I have no control over; some I disapprove of, some I simply can't comprehend.

The exhorter and the prophet in me wants to address sin and encourage to wholeness in Christ.  But God has not allowed me to do that.  In some of these cases I'm referring to, it would absolutely destroy the relationship.  Time and time again, God has said, "Just love him/her."  Easier said than done sometimes!

Aging With Grace

So, I was recently reading this article about the flu and flu shots.  It said that it was particularly important for babies, young children and the elderly (age 65 and up) to get the shot.  

Wait a minute, age 65 and up?  

I'm now considered "elderly?"  

No, the elderly are those people I visit in the nursing home, not me!!

The Power of Love

"Love makes your soul crawl out from its hiding place."  

Zora Neale Hurston

What truth there is in this quote.

When you know you are loved in spite of all you are, your soul doesn't need to hide.
You can be known for who you are with no fear.

His Incredible, Amazing Grace

I touch his arm, I rub his back and call his name, willing him to open his eyes and look at me or even just nod his head to give some indication that he sees me and knows I'm there.  But no matter how hard I try, he doesn't respond. He just sits in his wheelchair, his head cocked to one side with his eyes closed.

He is almost 90 and hardly ever talks anymore.  I get angry sometimes because I want some sign, however little, that all the time I spend with him makes a difference.  But there is very little encouragement from him.

Grace In and For the Darkness

It's during our darkest hour that we need the most grace.

It's during our darkest hour that we are given the most grace.

It's out of our darkest hour that the greatest growth, the greatest fruit comes forth.

I was reminded of this truth just this morning.

The Throne of Grace

When the "hard thing" comes, where do you find the grace to walk through it?

Where do you find the grace for hope when it seems so hopeless?

Where do you find the grace that brings the peace to quiet the chaos going on in the pit of your stomach?

Once the shock wears off, and you begin to feel again, that's when you begin to feel the pain.

Where is the grace for that?

Grow in Grace

"But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen."

2 Peter 3:18

"...grow in grace,...."  

How do you do that?  

I've been pondering this for a few days now.  

How do you grow in grace?

Grace for the Day . . . Just As It Comes

"Grace is the power of God pulsating with this passionate love of God, this jolting, blazing, dangerous love that pierces all of humanity's pitch-black.  Grace always shocks.  Grace always stuns. Grace is always what we need."  Ann Voskamp, One Thousand Gifts Devotional

I read this the other day during my devotional time and my heart responded with, "Yes, yes, yes!!"  I love when someone else gives words to what I feel in my heart but can't get out my mouth, don't you?

Shameless Marketing!

For the past three posts, I've written about grace.  

Taking a break today.

Today's post would qualify as a commercial!!

Many of you are aware of a book I wrote and published almost four years ago, Strength of My Heart. I thought back when I wrote it that it would be my first and only book.  It wasn't!

Defining Grace

How do we define grace?

How do you define grace?

Given it much thought?

Here are some ways I've heard it defined -

~ undeserved favor

~ divine love and protection bestowed freely upon mankind

~ the power to change

~ forgiving, forgetting, restoring, transforming and consuming

~ God's Riches At Christ's Expense

Grace-Needs

"Grace-Needs"

This is the word the Lord gave me for 2015.

This is the word that has exploded in my heart.

My whole life is lived by His grace. I have extreme need of it even when I don't know it; especially when I don't know it.

We live in a time of the greatest dispensation of His grace in history. Scripture tells us His grace has been poured out so that we might see Him, acknowledge Him and receive Him into the very fiber of our beings; that we might recognize our need of a Savior and see Jesus that we might be reconciled to His Father, our Father.

I Need Grace

Well, it's here!  

A brand, spanking new year - 2015!  

The ball dropped at midnight and here we are - faced with a clean slate, so to speak; 

a new year with no mistakes in it - - yet!