Victory

For the last three days I have been with family, family, and more family, from my mom and my dad's side. From brothers to cousins, grandparents, aunts, uncles, second cousins, great uncles, second cousins' children's mother, etc... Trust me, there's been a lot of family. Family is good, and I love them. However, there's been some grief too.

Thursday I got to sing at a funeral for my mom's aunt. While I am sick and tired of people dying, God was glorified on that day. I know that there were many people that were there that day that did not know Jesus. Thursday they were clearly told of their need for Him and how to accept Him. I'm not sure where they stand with Jesus now, but I pray that they will come to know Him.

Right after that we went to Illinois to have the Smith family Christmas. I couldn't help but think about Christmas last year. Last year's family Christmas was spent in a hospital waiting room in Memphis, TN. We were waiting for Jake to have his brain surgery. This Christmas we were back at Grandma and Grandpa's. Jaker was with Jesus. We cried for ourselves. Thank You, Jesus for Your promises.

It's been a somewhat emotionally draining time, "But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Corinthians 15:57

Amen and Amen

O Christmas Tree

I'm sitting here looking at the family Christmas tree, and thinking. Christmas trees are kind of like history books, or memory keepers. Most family Christmas trees tell a story of the growth of a family. You might have the couple's first Christmas, Baby's first Christmas, etc... This year our tree is different. Gone are the paper ornaments with glitter and glue, plastic ones with paint runs from unsteady child hands. No more little kids live in this house. Only the best ornaments are now hung with care, although I do kind of miss the character that comes from the ornaments made at Sunday School Christmas parties.

Now the only ones that remain are the ones deemed especially important. Either they match the decor, or they are so steeped in Christmas tree tradition, that it wouldn't be Christmas without them. Yes, I know that Christmas would still happen if the Clear Kneeling Angel was not hanging on a tree branch, but it's always the first ornament to go up every year. On our tree, there are four "Baby's First Christmas" although I don't think any of them are mine, maybe someone else had two first Christmases.

The red sleds with each of the kids' names on them can be easily seen. Years ago mom made those for each of us. I already mentioned the kneeling angel, but two others match it. The dove and the Drummer Boy complete the trilogy of the clear ornaments. All of which are made of plastic, but as a child it reminded me so much of crystal, that I thought it had to be. Those three are always the first to go on, and they must be placed directly in front of a light, so that they glow all throughout the season. There are only three of them, and wherever they came from, we obviously received them before the baby of the family was born.The rest of the tree is filled with ornaments in the shape of Teddy Bears, Trains, Tractors, and Airplanes. Each of the kids had a collection from their "Favorite Aunt Rhonda" growing up, and the multitude of ornaments in each shape is a reminder of this.

Even with the ornaments made in childhood gone from this years tree, it still holds memories. Memories of past Christmases, fill the trees boughs. As I sit here, looking at the tree, and grow more and more Christmasy and nostalgic, I stop. I stop and think about past Christmases. I stop and think about how last Christmas, we didn't know that it would be Jaker's last. We didn't know that so many other things would soon be put into motion that would bend, break, and mold our family. I realize that I don't know what will happen in the next year. Whatever does, I can be confident that, just like this year, God will never leave me. He will still be God, no matter what. And while our Christmas tree is holding memories from last Christmases, it is a reminder of what God has blessed us with, and brought us through.

I think that this year we need a new ornament on our tree. Maybe one that doesn't match, but that reminds me, of this Christmas. This Christmas where I now know, more than ever before in my life, how big God is. I know now, more than ever, to find my hope, peace, joy, and contentment solely in Him. An ornament to remind me what He has brought us through this year. Then years later I can look back and continue to glorify Him for His faithfulness. Like the angels so long ago I can say, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!"

Christmas Time is Here

Christmas is my favorite time of the year. I love the food, presents, time spent with family, music, movies, and so much more. Christmas music is all around. It’s on the radio, playing in the stores, and sung by carolers. What I love about this, besides the festive feeling that it brings, is that Christmas music is about Christ! Seriously, when else can you go to Walmart and hear praises to God being played over the loud speaker? It’s true that some of these songs are not very realistic. Do you really think that Baby Jesus didn’t cry, like it says in Away in a Manger? Or, with all of those people that were in Bethlehem, do you think that it was quiet and still, as it says in O Little Town of Bethlehem? Probably not. However there are some great truths that can be found in these songs.
Two songs that I have found a new love for this Christmas simply share not only about Christ’s birth, but also what it means to us.
The first song is Good Christian Men Rejoice. The first verse speaks of Christ’s birth, but I love the last verse.

Good Christian men, rejoice
With heart and soul and voice;
Now ye need not fear the grave;
Jesus Christ was born to save!
Calls you one and calls you all
To gain his everlasting hall.
Christ was born to save!
Christ was born to save!

Praise the Lord, that we don’t need to fear the grave and death anymore, for Christ was born to save!

The other Christmas song that I love is God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen. For some reason, I don’t hear this song very often, but as an instrumental version of it was playing in the car the other day, I was singing along in my head. This is when I actually realized what the song said.

God rest ye merry, gentlemen
Let nothing you dismay
Remember, Christ, our Saviour
Was born on Christmas day
To save us all from Satan’s power
When we were gone astray
O tidings of comfort and joy,Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy

Since Jesus came into the world, we are rescued from Satan’s power. He cannot beat us when Christ is on our side. What comfort and joy this should bring to us! So, as you are out and about this Christmas, listen to the music around you. Listen to the words of many of those great Christmas carols. Praise God, for He came as a baby, not to stay a baby, but to die for you and me. He came that we might be saved. That’s what Christmas is about.

Just a Note

Seeing as I have had two different missions sites, I have combined my Romania and El Salvador posts at

http://girl4god.wordpress.com/

I'll still be posting here, but this makes it easier for me to combine information about my two trips.

A Truth

Life is hard, that's true. It's just as true that God is still God no matter what. In that truth, rejoice!

Love

I hurt. Yep, today I hurt, because I love. I mean I don't only love today, but today is a day that I hurt more than usual.

I hurt for the people sitting beside me that don't love my Jesus. I just want them to know Him, and to love Him.

I hurt for my Christian brothers and sisters who say they love Jesus, but refuse to completely surrender their lives to Him, to know Him more, and to love Him more.

I hurt, because I love.

Today's verse for the day - Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 1 John 4:8

Thank You, God, for the hurt, that comes from the love that I have, that comes from knowing You.