Jesus loves me, this I know. This category is about Jesus, the Living Word, my prayers to Him, my worship of Him, His relentless pursuit of my heart and His invitation to me to come to Him in Sabbath, my Savior, my Rest.
I love to hear you talk. I love to hear you sing. Your eyes are simply intoxicating. I like it when you dance and arrange everything so perfectly. You are Lucy (from the Peanuts comic strip; your name means “elf counselor” and you sure do like to give advice, o yes you do!) and you ever and always are my sugar-pie-honey-bunch!
~~~
Back by popular demand – last years’ birthday video (when she was just turning 3) by Averi and Nonna!
Here are some birthday Bible words for Y-O-U!
Remember, Averi-J, to faithfully pray to God
so you can always find Him;
God is your BEST hiding place;
and He will protect Averi from trouble
and surround her with songs of deliverance.
And God will instruct Averi and teach her the ways she should go;
And He will counsel Averi with His love – remember,
He is watching out for you, Averi!
Do not be like a naughty mule,
which has no understanding
and has to be controlled by bit and bridle
or it will not come to you.
Naughty people have lots and lots of troubles,
but the LORD’s unfailing love
surrounds you, Averi, when you trust in Him.
Rejoice (get up and do a happy dance) in the LORD
and be glad, you righteous little booger, you;
sing to God, Averi, because He has made your heart clean!
I used to hate when some one would trot out that scripture from Ephesians 4 that included the phrase “Instead, speaking the truth in love…” because its’ reference usually preceded a round of scripture-ammunition aimed to pierce the heart and kill the soul. BAM {huge criticism fully bloated by cynical opinions = you are a big-fat-failure} + followed by “I’m just speaking the truth in love.” *Harumph.
If you read that last sentence and winced from the memory of it, it has probably been hurled at you, too. If you looked it and made a mental list of people you’d like to speak-the-truth-in-love to, you are probably the BAM-aid.
It is sad to see such an amazing exhortation reduced to a justification for calling out the slightest infractions against fellow believers when in fact, Paul was inviting us to encourage and motivate one another about the reality of our high and holy calling in Christ, which was what the whole first part of Ephesians was about. This is how we HELP each other – we remind each other (because of love) of our amazing and glorious place in Christ! See Ephesians 1-4, s’il te plait.
What Ephesians 4 actually says is:
Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.
Instead, speaking the truth in love,
we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
And I am finding that my words are never more true than when they are spoken from the depths of my love. Then, even though they are hard to say and possibly even difficult to hear, they set people free. They loose the chains and bondages the enemy has been heaping on. Speaking the truth in love-with love-because of love-by love causes people to grow (life surging through their veins), green and fruitful, established and strong. Speaking the truth in love brings a maturity in those around us, a connection to Jesus rather than a condemnation that sends them running the other way with fear and shame.
And the truth you speak in love? It is your truth. Tell on yourself. Admit your own stuff. Tell your truth so you can help others avoid your pitfalls. Tell your truth about how the enemy has come at you so other people won’t feel like they are on the ledge alone, but then be sure to tell the part about the faithfulness of God who has never left you nor forsaken you. When we come clean, speaking the truth of how we are weak (and He is strong), of how we have failed (but He has been faithful), about how we have been the biggest sinners (and He has become our most wonderful Savior), then – we will become the “body,” the Body of Jesus Christ…
joined…
and held together
by every supporting ligament
growing-growing-growing
being b u i l t up in L O V E
as each part does its’ work
And guess what? Speaking the truth in love is a ministry of all of us Jesus-loving, New-Testament believers. We get to join our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, in shattering an accusation-ridden religion we can never hope to keep and step into the power of an overwhelming love from a Father who will not let us go. Oh wow.
“…God has chosen to make known among {the people in your life – your neighbors and co-workers, your family and friends, the people who work in the places you do business in and the people you know through church} the glorious riches if this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”
Ephesians 3.17b-19
“…And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. ”
Time is my favorite gift of all. Time is limited. Time is fleeting. Time flies. It runs out and it is money. Time is of the essence and time is on my side. And time is my love language (you can quote me on that).
My 6 fav trees this year, each uniquely crafted by one of my grandbebes
I LOVE-LOVE-LOVE getting to spend time with my family, with other people I adore at Christmas just because it is Christmas. You could make the argument that we cram too much togetherness into the Christmas season, but it would be wasted on me because without a reason drawing us, we are prone to let too much time and activity slip between our fingers – and not with people who matter to us more than life. Then it is just gone, along with chances to love…
Every year, the gift that means the most to me is the time my busy kids and husband give me on December 25 (and the few days before and after). I realize its great value and matchless worth. I cherish it like gold.
Mailed for one-cent in the early 1900s.
There is a time at Christmas for everything,
and a season for every Christmas activity under the heavens (though maybe not everything all at once or every year – over the course of life, everything needed to be accomplished and enjoyed and celebrated during Christmas will be…):
a time to be born (a looking forward to adoption this Christmas!) and a time to make snowman hand-print ornaments for the family-tree,
a time to glue-together glittery-paper trees and a time to clean out the toy box for all the new blessings,
a time to play movie games and a time to break out the brand new Play-Dough,
a time to tear down the tents Poppa built and a time to re-build them in your own houses,
At Christmas there is a time to weep when your cousin grabs your new doll and a time to laugh while bright-colored papers fly through the air and some one who gets you gave you something you’d never have asked for but secretly desired,
There’s a time to bemoan too many cookies and snacks and a time to dance in the Christmas program,
a time to scatter 64 brand new Crayola crayons and 276 tiny army guys all over the place and a time to gather receipts for returns,
a time to embrace and a time to appreciate,
a time to search for lost pieces of the new puzzle and a time to give up,
a time to keep these people close in your heart and a time to throw away grudges and offense,
a time to split the last chocolate chip cookie in half and a time to mend toy parts,
a time to be silent, just delighting in the people who surround you and a time to speak life-giving words,
There is a time to love until your heart is wrung out of all love (at which time God Himself will pour His love into us, flow through us) and a time to hate evil and destruction and defy it to enter our homes, our families,
Christmas is a time for reminding the enemy of our souls that Jesus came and saved us and a time for the Prince of Peace to be welcomed into our lives to rule and reign as He should…
What on earth do we gain from all the work of Christmas? I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race, but the times of celebration He wants us to have, too. He has made everything beautiful in its time…there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. That each of them may eat pumpkin pie and spiral-cut honey-hams and drink eggnog and punch, and find satisfaction in all their outdoor illumination and tree-decorating and gift-giving and singing—this is the gift of God. I know that everything God does (even in the Christmas celebrations we present to Him in worship) will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it.
Thank-you for the time at Christmas, Father.
Obvious rip-off of Ecclesiastes 3.
Ornaments made through the years for the family tree
Dan Wakefield wrote it. Dave (the son-in-law) just flat sings it, with a stage-full of his prayer and worship buds. “A million stars could not outshine You, a million miles could not out-run Your love. A million songs could not contain the praise You’re due…”
My favorite line of the song?
“A single seed reveals Your Kingdom”
Think about that for a little bit because it so absolutely does! It must appeal to the gardener in me. Truth!
Baking day was Sunday. Just the girls, for the working part. Then the boys for the chicken tacos (and beef, too). Extra salt, please.
Minty Cake Balls with Green Mint Icing (Gemma)
Peppermint Brownies with crushed candy topping (Guini)
Hot Chocolate Truffles (Guini)
Peanut Butter Cookies, gluten-free and totally flour-less! (Averi)
Chocolate Chip Cookies (Tara)
Peanut Butter Balls (Tredessa)
Puppy Chow (Jovan)
Dipped and Decorated Pretzels (the little girls)
Turtle Pretzels, with Rolos and Pecans and almonds (Stormie)
Candy-Kiss & M & M Pretzels (Jovan)
Ritz Thin-Mints (Tara)
Hidden Valley Ranch Oyster Crackers (Tara & Stormie)
Homemade Twix (Stephanie invented with mini-wafers, caramels and chocolate for dipping)
Christmas Crack (Stormie). The name implies your absolute inability to quit eating it. It involves sugar and butter becoming caramel, being poured over saltines and topped with rich chocolate chips, cooled into crispy-sweet-savory succulence. Yes it does. You’re hooked already, aren’t you?
Plus? There are cupcakes and sugar cookies and chocolates and Cutie oranges. There is hot chocolate and spiced tea and banana bread and pumpkin bread. o-my-goodness. Suagr-shock!
After baking and dinner, we watched Nativity! on the “big screen” in the living room.
We used the “vintage” movie screen and a way-modern projector. Rent it. Stream it free from Netflix. Whatever. You will like it. It is cute and sweet and British and funny.
Trace Bundy was over-the-top incredible at the Heaven Fest Christmas Party.
He did a 2-guitar thing in D-minor and D-major called, “Joy and Sorrow,” or maybe it was “Sorrow and Joy.” I can’t remember. But JOY wins. That I do recall. Because it does. It is actually a huge part of what Jesus is all about!
Luke 10.21 Jesus, full of joy…
Luke 2.9-11 …the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.”
John 3.29 [Jesus speaking] That joy is mine and it is now complete.
John 15.11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.
John 16.22 I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.
John 17.13 I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world,
so that they may have the full measure of my JOY within them.
His joy, in us. The hope that keeps me going…
PS // I “ran into” Heather at WalMart and Marilyn at The Dollar Tree yesterday! Happy surprise!
Slightly amazed that I know people as wondrous as these. Got to see Candi and Amy Jo and Patrice at the Christmas Party. Missing my Pearly-Q. Might have to plan a reason to bump into her! ;)
