It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

It's the most wonderful time of the year
With the kids jingle belling
And everyone telling you "Be of good cheer"
It's the most wonderful time of the year
It's the hap-happiest season of all

With those holiday greetings and gay happy meetings
When friends come to call
It's the hap- happiest season of all

There'll be parties for hosting
Marshmallows for toasting
And caroling out in the snow
There'll be scary ghost stories
And tales of the glories
Of Christmases long, long ago

It's the most wonderful time of the year

There'll be much mistltoeing
And hearts will be glowing
When loved ones are near
It's the most wonderful time of the year

This is a famous Christmas carol written years ago to best describe what they thought Christmas was about. And in essence it is a large part of Christmas. But they forgot the most important part of Christmas, CHRIST. As I lay here in bed, listening to the rain fall contemplating what my first overseas Christmas was like, that song came to mind because of all the wonderful things that God blessed me with today and over the past year. Yes, I'm far away from family, living in a land where people hardly think anything of God, and yet He is the same God here in Australia as He is in America and His blessings don't change, I do. God came to earth, as a baby, to fulfill the greatest plan that ever was thought of. One of complete salvation and freedom from sin. Yes, the gifts are fun, the tree is a special part, and if you're in the right part of the world, snow brings a sense of Christmas spirit. But those things eventually leave you empty and the newness of the presents wears off, the happy gatherings fade and the weight gained rarely goes away. And yet when we have the right perspective and the Christ is back in Christmas the blessings never stop flowing, the joy never stops filling our days. It truly is the most wonderful time of year. 

Merry Christmas Everyone! 

God Moves in

God's Timing.....

Time, it is something that no one truely understands. It is a gift that is given in a pre measured  amount. And we never know when that measurement is done. This is was crossed my mind the past couple days as I dragged myself out of my warm cozy bed and forced myself to get ready for work. All the while complaining to the Lord about having to be up and being so excited about going back to bed. I was convicted when I realized that I was blessed with another day to serve my Savior. How selfish of me to grumble about being able to get up and work when I could have been taken home to Heaven or not been able to get up. I purposed today to step up to the challenge of being joyful and choosing to be thankful for the time given. I was also challenged today that am I doing everything in my power to glorify God with what He has given me? Or am I choosing to serve self?
Time is also something when lost we can never regain. It's also something God uses to teach us patience. His timing is always perfect. Sometimes it drives me nuts. Yep I confess I'm a recovering control freak. I came to that realization when God put me on a horse and a trail ride that turned into a training ride vs a pleasure ride. I also find myself wanting my timing over God's timing. My timing would ruin my life in what I thought should happen but God's timing is wonderful! It may not seem that way at the time but we only see the small picture. He sees the big picture. Thank you Lord for giving us the time we have and for showing us Your timing! 

Seasons

Ever have the days were you feel like you've lived through every season of life (and weather) possible? This week has been one of those weeks. Time is slow yet fast, the sun is out but it rains, the warm air suddenly turns to cold and you don't ever seem to catch up. Circumstances and situations blow what you believe out of the proverbial water and you feel as though you're finding your feet again.
The Lord has shown me a deeper level of life this week. I cannot even begin to explain the recesses of where He has taken me but I do know that I am becoming a tried and true soldier of His. He has been walking me through some of the most difficult yet healing streams He has ever asked me to swim across. It all began with a phone call and that phone call released so many pent up and stuffed up and squelched feelings that I didn't know where there. The relief and healing that started from ripping open a wound that I though had healed was soothing and terrifying all in one. He reminded me in the swirling and churning emotions and everything that came along with that were all part of His plan. Even though I feel like there is absolutely no direction given, deep down I know that He is working all of this out for His glory. The hard times come not to break us but to build us up and bring us closer to the Father who created us. Nothing happens in this world or in our lives that God does not know about or does not care about. How comforting that is! And as we head into the Fall season and the different seasons that God has for us we know that we are forever in His hands.



My hope is in the Lord who gave Himself for me. For me He died, For me He lives, and everlasting life and light He freely gives!

Beautiful Things

Sometimes the most beautiful things come from the most painful things. My heart yearns for times past to return (I realize it is all for selfish gain). I don't know why God brings certain people into my life and then takes them away. Sometimes I feel like it was all a dream, a beautiful dream and I can never go back. This new season that God has brought me too will not be easy. This I know. So very desperately I look behind say I want to return because I was comfortable there and my life was "easy." And as a very wise person in my life told me, "Nothing good can ever come if there is no change." Nothing will ever happen the same way twice. It is a reality that must always be faced. God is sovereign, and in that I must rest. For He will guide me in the paths of what I need and whether it is leaving everything I've ever known, or people coming and going from my life, or seeing someone get what I so desperately want knowing and resting in the knowledge that He is controlling everything and that His timing is best.
  Taking
    Rest
      Under the
          Savior's
             Timing


Truth Nugget            Jeremiah 29:11

God of Heaven

This evening as we did chores, I looked up at the sky and saw the dark clouds rolling in, and smelled the on coming rain, soon the thunder began rumbling and threatening the world with it's power. We finished up chores and the song that was in my head was one that was sung at our S.O.D. Graduation, "God of Heaven" As I looked up into the sky and wondered at the magnificence of it and also the twinge of fear that comes with not knowing what the clouds hold. But knowing the One who filled those clouds with the electrifying power was incredible. The rain poured forth from the heavens and watered the earth, and the lightening lit up the sky and the thunder rattled my little trailer and I was awed by how my God knew exactly how much rain to let fall, and exactly when the sun needed to peak out and warm the wet earth. As I sit here looking out the window at the glowing sunset and the glistening raindrops I am falling in love with the Creator of the universe, who tells the sun when to rise, and the rain to fall, and the flowers to bloom.

God of Heaven, God of all the earth and sky.
Great Creator, Master of all nature.
Who gives birth to snow from heaven,
Holds the waves at ocean’s edge,
Gives the orders to the morning,
Shows each dawn its place to shine?

God of Heaven, God of all the earth and sky.
God of Ages, God who wrote the Book of Time.
Sovereign Ruler, Alpha and Omega.
Saints before, He’s guided safely.
History’s pages signed by Him.
Author of our days and hours;
Things to come are held secure.
God of Ages, Alpha and Omega.

God of Power!  God who breaks the darkness.
Righteous Warrior, Champion of His children,
Goes before us into battle;
Good and evil bow to Him,
Those in bondage freed forever,
Victories won at  His command!

God who heals us, God who gives us peace and hope.
God who listens, Carries all our fragile

Dreams and heartaches, wins and failures;
Binds the broken; hides the weak.
New beginnings freely offered;
Who can make us whole again?
God who heals us, God of Power,
God of Ages, God of Heaven,
God of all the earth and sky.

Words and Music by Heather Sorenson
Sung By The Steve Pettit Evangelistic Team- from  album Come Boldly.

Change

Change. The one thing that no one really enjoys yet every life must have change in order to grow. We change growing up, we change when we go to college, we all must change when we step out on our own. And within every aspect of life there are seasons that are painful but underneath the "growing pains" is the knowledge that God is ever Sovereign and loves us more than ever. The current season in my life is saying "see you later's" to some of my dearest friends and adopted family members. The School of Discipleship students have graduated and moved on to the change in their lives that God has asked of them. As painful as it is to see them leave I am very grateful that I was able to spend a year of my life with them. As a Father figure told me as I was (yes I'm a big soft teddy bear inside) crying and trying to pull myself together: "Good things do not/cannot happen without change."  It is never easy adjusting without someone you love in your life. But in the times that the silence is almost deafening and the loneliness seems to be unbearable the comfort of Jesus Christ drowns out the noise and reminds us that He is the ultimate Comforter (John 14 & 15) and one who brings us hope (Romans 15:13)