So Glad I Went

I almost gave in to laziness this morning. My Beloved has been down with the flu and wasn't going to church today, so the decision to go rested with me. I had set the alarm for 6:30, but when morning came, I reluctantly crawled out of bed at 7:00, needing to arrive by 9:00. It's a half hour drive to our church, it was a foggy morning, I hadn't slept well, and on and on my reasoning went.

I'm not a morning person, so I reminded myself that I never actually like to get up--no matter what the day holds. It always takes me about a half hour to shake that feeling loose. I knew I would be sorry if I slept in and failed to attend corporate worship with my church family. So sheer self-discipline strong-armed me out of bed.

And I am glad. I arrived on time for our Sunday School class, which I had prepared for during the week. It was good to hear the discussion on Jonah and be reminded of God's sovereignty and universal grace and mercy. The worship service that followed was uplifting and encouraging, and I believe was a sweet fragrance to Christ.

I believe also that the effort I had made to be there was interwoven into my personal worship. It was a sacrifice of praise to my Lord. God wants our obedience, and He wants us to gather together with fellow believers. I hope you were able to meet with your church family today. I hope you have a church family. It's important for the well-being of all of us.

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching (Hebrews 10:23-25).

Painting ~ Asleep, Karl Holsoe 1863-1935

Hanging on to Bitterness

Sharing a thought with you today as I've been studying the assignment for our Bible class at church. I'm not very familiar with the minor prophets, so I signed up for that class, and this week we were to read through the book of Jonah. Among other aspects of the book, we were to read with a view toward the gospel--how is the gospel seen in the book of Jonah?

The book is not really about Jonah. It's about God, about how He extended His universal grace toward all of mankind--even the most wicked of the wicked, the Assyrians who lived in Nineveh and had been barbaric toward the nation of Israel. Jonah was to go and warn them of God's judgement. A scary mission, to be sure, but God was calling them to repentance, and wanted Jonah to be His messenger. 

Jonah was extremely bitter toward the Ninevites, a bitterness rooted deep, deep in his soul, to the point of preferring death over the possibility of their repentance. He wanted them punished for all the wickedness they had done to his own people. He didn't want any possibility of good coming to them.

In His abundant loving kindness, though, God was relentless in pursing Jonah as well as the inhabitants of Nineveh. He was merciful towards both--the wicked and the righteous. Remember, Jonah was a prophet of God.

Forgiveness was offered to both. It's interesting to me that the wicked Assyrians were the ones who repented. The book closes with Jonah still a bitter, angry man. The gospel has the power to save us from our sin, but we are called to release the sin in our lives, turn from it toward God, and accept His forgiveness. That frees us to return to relationship with Him. The Ninevites accepted. Jonah held onto his bitterness and hatred.

Bitterness can dig deep into the soul and drive the events of our lives. It propels us away from God. It takes us where we do not want to go, and soon we wonder how we ever got into the churning, convulsive belly of a fish in the great deep that engulfs us.

If you're struggling with unwanted feelings toward a situation or a person, and wonder if it's bitterness or something else, I recommend this book by Rebecca Davis that might help untangle your thoughts and emotions. Click the image and it will take you to Rebecca's website. 

Painting ~ An Elegant Lady Reading Under A Tree, Karl Raupp 1837-1918

Another Goodbye After the Feast

It's never easy saying goodbye to our grandchildren after their visits. I'm sure it's the same for many of you as well. We savor every minute that we have with them, though it drains more energy from us than we even thought we had. The hour or so after bedtime is welcome relief before we drop into bed ourselves, hoping they sleep through the night so we can, too. 

We had an extended stay this time due to their mommy getting sick on the way home from their after-Christmas visit. We picked up the children two hours away at a motel and brought them back here for several more days while mommy and daddy got back on their feet. Met up with them halfway yesterday to return our precious little ones. A very long day--more than a twelve hour trip up and back.

Distance is definitely no friend to families, but it isn't debilitating. There are times when only family can do for us what we need, and we gladly spend ourselves in doing it. This feast or famine relationship drains us physically when we have the children, and emotionally when they leave. But we want them to remember being with us, even though the occasions be few and far between. Our 4-year old Anna told us that she wishes we lived closer, that the trip is TOOOOOO long from her house to ours. Sure do wish they lived closer and could remember Grandad and Nana as we really are in just normal, everyday life. And we want them to see and know God's faithfulness and care in our lives, how we worship Him, how we live for Him. We want to affirm their own faith as they're growing and changing and searching out truth. 

There are moments while they're here when I try to absorb every little thing about them to treasure in my mind and heart while we're apart. As children do, they're growing up ever so quickly. Our littlest celebrated his first birthday while he was here. I'm sure his mommy and daddy would have preferred to spend the day with him. Distance is no friend to families. 

But it isn't debilitating. Thankful for highways and byways. And thankful for strength and energy for the feast.

Merry Christmas

May the love God sent find your heart ready to receive.

May His Peace, Joy, and Faith reside there so that you may say,

All is well with my soul.

Thank you, Jesus

From the Sewing Room - Hagrid's Quilt

I had shown in an earlier post that I was working on a quilt for my daughter who is fixing her sitting room / office like Hagrid's Hut. When I saw an interior photo online of his hut, a quilt thrown across the chair caught my eye. I knew my daughter would love to have it, so I started figuring out a pattern for it right away so I could give it to her for Christmas. It's all scrappy with variety-sized pieces, which took more construction time than I thought it would. I hand quilted big stitches using pearl cotton thread with a cross hatch quilting design. I'm almost finished--just a bit of binding left to sew down. I hope she sees the resemblance!

A Stand for Decency

ClipArtBest

Congratulations, North Carolina, on your legislature's upholding decency and the protection of privacy rights for all who live there. The blackmail by big business, big sports, and big celebrities shows the effort by some outside of North Carolina to control the quality of life of the citizens living there.

What foolishness, anyway, to okay boys going into the girls bathroom! No wonder so many adolescents and young adults are having an identity crisis. They've lost their moorings. So glad there are some like those in North Carolina who are willing to take a stand and throw a life line.

Sounds like North Carolina would be a good place to raise a family.  We have family living there, and we've frequently vacationed in the state. It's good to know that I need not be concerned about who's going to be in the restroom with me while I'm there. 


Want to be clear about HB2? Follow this link to Focus on the Family.
Seven Things You Should Know About North Carolina’s HB2 from Focus on the Family.

The Most Important Event - God With Us

Annunciation to the Shepherds, Govert Flinck 1639

Sharing with you today a brief excerpt from my devotional reading. This comes from the devotional insights in the chronological Bible that I read in the morning hours. It's part of the introduction to the gospels of the incarnation of Jesus, the Christ. A thought from F. LaGard Smith:

All is now ready for the most important event in human history. It is an event planned even before the creation of the world. It is the keeping of a promise made to Abraham over 2000 years earlier. It is the fulfillment of a host of prophecies regarding a Messiah who would come to establish his kingdom. Most importantly, it is the beginning of a dynamically new relationship between God and man. The event is the coming of the savior of the world, the Messiah--or, as referred to in the Greek, the Christ.

BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD AND SHALL BEAR A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL, which translated means, "GOD WITH US."

Matthew 1:23

from ~ The NIV Daily Bible in Chronological Order

The Driving Force

As mothers and grandmothers, would we say the same?

I am the Lord's servant.

The trust in this statement is almost childlike. Mary defined herself with startling simplicity: "I am the Lord's servant." She stated her life-purpose clearly: "May it be to me as you have said." Obedience to God's will was the driving force of her life. 

~ Susan Hunt, in Spiritual Mothering

The Simple Woman's Daybook

Linking up today with The Simple Woman's Daybook

Click on the image below to read other simple women's entries.

For Today

Looking out my window

My Beloved built a new accomodation for the nativity.

We have it in the front yard.

I am thinking

It would be nice if more folks in our neighborhood did a little outdoor decorating for Christmas. It need not be elaborate, a simple wreath or window light would bid good tidings to us all, but only a few give any indication that they're celebrating the season.

I am thankful   

That I have loved ones to buy gifts for and God's provision to do so. 

Did a little shopping today.

One of my favorite things

Quiet evenings with My Beloved, listening to music.

I am listening to

The Messiah as I write. 

Beautiful and Uplifting.

 
I am hoping

That the weather is clear for our daughters and families to come after Christmas.

I am learning

I'm not at all techy, but My Beloved is teaching me a little bit about ipads and tablets as we help my mother think through getting one for my dad for Christmas. 

I just might end up wanting one myself. ;-)

In my kitchen

Just finished some No-Bake Chocolate and Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies. Yum!

Looking forward to settling down in a few minutes with a little snack and a glass of milk. 

In the Sewing Room

I made several pillow cases for pre-Christmas gifts from holiday fabric. Forgot to take pictures before I gifted them, but I did get a photo of the ones I kept for our bed. 

I used flannel with bird motifs that match the bedroom decor. The fabric was barely wide enough for our king pillows. The other standard pillowcases worked up just fine with a yard of fabric. The kings needed about 1 1/3 yard. I made these plain as well as some of the others. For one set I followed Crafty Gemini's tutorial to make cases with contrasting bands.

Shared Quote

It's not how much we have but how much we enjoy that makes happiness.

- Charles Spurgeon

A moment from my day

Our newest grand just began walking this week, so I set up the Christmas Village in the curio cabinet this year. There are five shelves filled with hustle and bustle. 

Makes me want to just step right in!

Closing Notes

May God bless your and yours as you celebrate the season and contemplate the incarnation of God's Son, Jesus Christ.

 

Where Is Hope?

I listened today to Michelle's lament--"Now we are feeling what not having hope feels like.” Hope has been misplaced by many among us. It cannot be found in mankind, no matter how much we hope so.

I've never had hope in a president...past, present, nor future. My hope has been and continues to be found in God's Son, Jesus Christ.  He offers us hope in His sovereign purposes, no matter who we voted for...or against. I find peace in that knowledge this Christmas and for the coming years.

Yes, "hope is necessary"... and we need to be sure where our hope is.

Photo ~ Our Tree