"Long lay the world in sin and error pining till He appeared and the soul felt it's worth." O Holy Night
"I think of Mary and the virgin birth, and I'm amazed by how much God thinks we are worth, that he would send his only Son to die and sometimes Christmas makes me cry....tears of thankfulness, tears of hope. I cry tears of joy at Christmas cause I know there is peace on Earth for every heart to find."~ Mandissa and Matthew West , Sometimes Christmas Makes Me Cry
These two songs' lyrics prompt reflection within my heart this Christmas. These words remind me that Christmas is about Jesus. He doesn't change, his presence doesn't fade, his love is constant....
Christmas is about God telling you that YOU are of great worth.
Christmas is about God showing you your worth. God sent Jesus, his Son, to Earth. God knew without Jesus we'd be eternally separated from him. Jesus came and died for our eternal salvation. That's how much God thinks we are worth. When we place our trust in Jesus, God sees Jesus' righteousness when he looks at us instead of our sins, mistakes, shortcomings, etc.
That's how much God thinks we are worth.
Praying you find Jesus' peace on Earth.
Monday, December 23, 2013
Sunday, December 1, 2013
Thanks-remembering
I woke up on Thanksgiving morning trying not to cry the tears that were forming. One by one, the generation of my dearly loved grandparents have gone to be with Jesus. As a child, you think traditions will hold forever. I grew up traveling the four hour drive to my parents' hometown in rural West Virginia. The soundtrack for the drive was a Reader's Digest Country Christmas Collection.
My family always arrived to countless hugs and feasts on both my mom and dad's side. When my grandma had her own house it was always full, each bedroom and couch filled with extended family. You'd never know she had extremely painful arthritis and back pain from fused vertebrae. Once we all showed up, she came alive in the kitchen. You didn't bother asking for recipes because she didn't need any. "A little ____, a little ________" etc. Her specialties? green beans and homemade bread. Oh yeah...and pies: cherry, lemon, chocolate, mincemeat, apple, peach, and so on. If she knew it was your favorite, she made it and lined it up with the other pies across her piano. In her later years I drove up a few days early to help her make pies, only to be fussed at, "Those aren't pie making clothes! You can't make pies in those clothes!" So I'd change and return...she'd accept the help only under direct supervision. Whether there were more side dishes or pies, it's hard to say. Even as an adult, my seat was usually at the "kids table" with my sister, brother, and a few cousins.
After days of preparation and cooking, you'd think she'd take a few days to recuperate. Oh, no! Because next to cooking, shopping was one of her favorite activities. So, around 5:30 a.m. on Black Friday my sister and I would get in her car and ride 30 minutes into Maryland to go to the mall. This began when she no longer knew what to get us for Christmas. So she'd give us an envelope of money and help us pick out Christmas gifts from her. Grandma freely gave her fashion advice. The most important rule: Don't buy something drab. She wasn't afraid to tell you, "That's drab!" We started each year with breakfast biscuits at Chickfilla. Then we'd roam from one side of the mall to the other skipping very few stores. Even in her last years she took us, waiting for us outside the stores. By noon when all the door busters were over, mom and dad would meet us at Jerry's Pizza for lunch. Grandma and dad would pile a plate full of banana peppers for their pizza and I'd get a Strawberry drink at Orange Julius. This continued at least 10 years.
So on Thursday, I woke up smelling the feast, hearing the voices scurrying around, and trying to keep warm. These memories are ingrained and available to replay anytime. That's when the tears started to form. Tears of thankfulness that I have these memories, yet tears of sorrow that they'll remain in the past. Tears that Paul never got to meet my grandma and that she couldn't be at our wedding.
My grandparents are a treasure. They taught me about love and the importance of family despite distance. They taught me the importance of connecting and relating to each other despite differences.
Looking back, makes me realize how much more I should treasure the present. Nothing in life is constant except the Lord. People come into our lives, and we can't take their presence for granted. On Thanksgiving evening Paul and I walked a block down the street to his parents' house and gathered with his whole family. I carried a bowl of green beans I'd made that were a far imitation of grandma's. We have two nieces and two nephews on his side, one of each celebrating their 5th birthday. I sat on the floor with my one year old niece, Molly, in my lap playing the princess game and Scooby Doo game we bought for the twins....and I thought...these memories are precious too.
My family always arrived to countless hugs and feasts on both my mom and dad's side. When my grandma had her own house it was always full, each bedroom and couch filled with extended family. You'd never know she had extremely painful arthritis and back pain from fused vertebrae. Once we all showed up, she came alive in the kitchen. You didn't bother asking for recipes because she didn't need any. "A little ____, a little ________" etc. Her specialties? green beans and homemade bread. Oh yeah...and pies: cherry, lemon, chocolate, mincemeat, apple, peach, and so on. If she knew it was your favorite, she made it and lined it up with the other pies across her piano. In her later years I drove up a few days early to help her make pies, only to be fussed at, "Those aren't pie making clothes! You can't make pies in those clothes!" So I'd change and return...she'd accept the help only under direct supervision. Whether there were more side dishes or pies, it's hard to say. Even as an adult, my seat was usually at the "kids table" with my sister, brother, and a few cousins.
After days of preparation and cooking, you'd think she'd take a few days to recuperate. Oh, no! Because next to cooking, shopping was one of her favorite activities. So, around 5:30 a.m. on Black Friday my sister and I would get in her car and ride 30 minutes into Maryland to go to the mall. This began when she no longer knew what to get us for Christmas. So she'd give us an envelope of money and help us pick out Christmas gifts from her. Grandma freely gave her fashion advice. The most important rule: Don't buy something drab. She wasn't afraid to tell you, "That's drab!" We started each year with breakfast biscuits at Chickfilla. Then we'd roam from one side of the mall to the other skipping very few stores. Even in her last years she took us, waiting for us outside the stores. By noon when all the door busters were over, mom and dad would meet us at Jerry's Pizza for lunch. Grandma and dad would pile a plate full of banana peppers for their pizza and I'd get a Strawberry drink at Orange Julius. This continued at least 10 years.
So on Thursday, I woke up smelling the feast, hearing the voices scurrying around, and trying to keep warm. These memories are ingrained and available to replay anytime. That's when the tears started to form. Tears of thankfulness that I have these memories, yet tears of sorrow that they'll remain in the past. Tears that Paul never got to meet my grandma and that she couldn't be at our wedding.
My grandparents are a treasure. They taught me about love and the importance of family despite distance. They taught me the importance of connecting and relating to each other despite differences.
Looking back, makes me realize how much more I should treasure the present. Nothing in life is constant except the Lord. People come into our lives, and we can't take their presence for granted. On Thanksgiving evening Paul and I walked a block down the street to his parents' house and gathered with his whole family. I carried a bowl of green beans I'd made that were a far imitation of grandma's. We have two nieces and two nephews on his side, one of each celebrating their 5th birthday. I sat on the floor with my one year old niece, Molly, in my lap playing the princess game and Scooby Doo game we bought for the twins....and I thought...these memories are precious too.
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