This is about me.

Once a week, I’m going to be selfish.

One week each month, I choose to reflect on me.

Just me and what God is doing in my life.

This year, it’s about chains and change.

I choose to be set free from the weights that so easily beset me.

2012

Psalm 143:10 Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. May your gracious Spirit lead me forward on a firm footing.

It’s sort of true: those closest to you hurt you the most.

The Spirit of the Christmas at our house always, always is pinnacled by 3 things:

1. our faith where we celebrate the birth of Christ,

2. our home where we prepare traditional baked goodies to enjoy and share, gifts bought then wrapped are given with love, and

3. our children whose anticipation of [I]it all[/I] glows on their faces so much that it can’t help but jump right onto our own

My youngest comes up with things that only he could. While snuggling and reading before bed last night he said to me, “I hope I only have 2 children when I grow up. I couldn’t handle 3; they’re hard to take care of, right Mom?”

I love this boy!

He immediately unwrapped each one, one by one.

3 XL batting glove. 3 XL “I <3 U Mom!”

For me!

My little builder. I don’t think we could be enough Legos to satisfy his imagination.

A Christmas Eve gift for our family to remember the fun we had in Disney World Dec. 2011

He’s still wondering, in secret but not so hidden, if there’s that ONE gift he really wants in there somewhere..

Why, YES there is!  A proud owner of SONIC “WEREWOLF,” not to be confused with the many other, inexpensive, readily available Sonic figures.

And, a proud (and very deserving) owner of THE Green Bay Packers!  I <3 you, Honey.

Is there anything better to be gifted? Come on morning!

(The original got it wrong, now, not a creature is stirring…) Hope yours was full of merry.

Sometimes I’m not sure what I am suppose to be doing, while at other times  I’m just not doing it. A couple thousand years ago, there were shepherds attending to their sheep one night who were abruptly interrupted with an angel’s sudden appearance and life changing proclamation. His son was given. The king of the world had arrived. A baby lovingly wrapped in swaddling clothes was lying in a manger, and his name was Jesus.  Generations before were told of his  impending birth and this first Christmas night:

Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given… and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Suddenly, the lowly sheep watchers were stricken with fear at the angel’s sighting. And the prophecy of years before was fulfilled in a Bethlehem barn:

Luke 2:8-12 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

So there were the shepherds, in their fields, keeping their flock safe and guarded. They were  in the right place (shepherds in the field only makes perfect sense), doing what they were trusted to be doing, and they heard from the Lord.  I just know if a shepherd, simply doing his job out in a dark country field, can hear from the Lord, so can I. When (if?) I am in the place and doing the work that the Lord has for me to be doing, He can get my attention and share life-changing news with me, too. (There have been times when, by His grace, the Lord drew me to him despite my deliberate  position of distance toward Him. That is only due to His love for me. Thank  you, Lord.)   I know, and you know, there has to be a more exciting life than the bounds that a sheep farm’s fence would encompass. I can’t help but wonder if it was because the shepherds were doing what was right and expected of them (despite the perceived lackluster of their position in l life), that the angel’s announcement spurred such an urgency in them seeking out God’s truth, following quickly in obedience and fully proclaiming and glorifying the Father. Yes, I have to think it was so. That’s where I want to be. That’s how I want to respond to the Lord’s word.

Luke 2:15 and following:   And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

They did their job.

They heard the Lord.

They quickly followed what the Lord had said to them.

They shared God’s greatest gift with others.

The gave God the glory for all that they had both heard and seen.

They shared a great example to me…

…of how to hear the Lord by simply being where I need to be doing what He has for me to do. That part is easy as I go back and remember praying  about meeting the man I married, our relationship, engagement and marriage. Many prayers culminated with praise for God’s goodness and answers to those life changing occurrences. After all, Mr. T found me (close to the Lord, I might add), pursued me, asked me to marry him and here we are-just a few years later.  I am a wife. Together and through much heartbreak, we prayed for the Lord to bless our marriage with children, and He did. We have two beautiful sons; I am their mother. A wife and a mother who has been blessed by the Lord with many gifts to share. It makes me happy to share them, to be sure. I want to be faithful in doing so, but I know my life’s greatest roles, ordained by the Lord and answered through my own prayers, are those of wife and mom. I want more than to be happy. I’ve lived enough life to know that happiness is an emotion that comes in waves, but joy, joy can be the constant. Even in the middle of life’s struggles and trials, as I abide in the Lord, the  joy of the Lord remains in me. I don’t want to show my children how to be happy in life, I want to show them how to walk in truth-to remain in the fulness of joy, to know peace and good-will which is only available through their relationship with the Lord.

And so, it became Christmas Day:

Luke 2:14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.