On the heels of an upsetting telephone conversation last night, this photo came to me from one of my delightful granddaughters who knows how much this particular saying has meant to me over many years. It was so timely, comforting, and apropos that I had to share it. Lindsay had no idea what had just taken place in my life, so I believe that this is God reminding me, through her, that indeed all things are possible, because I was immediately uplifted. TYG, and thank you, Lindsay.
The reason…and there are many of them…that we celebrate Christmas on December 25th is secondary. Celebrating the birthday of Jesus every year is really what Christmas is all about. It is remembering that he was born, lived an exemplary life, for approximately thirty-three years, and died an agonizing death. It is remembering not that he lived and died, but that he died and lives…lives in the hearts of those of us who believe, lives to reach out to those who do not believe, and lives to give real meaning to the event that is the most widely celebrated on our planet…Christmas. Let me share a poem I wrote in 1995 while pondering the idea that Santa Claus seemed to be the the reason for the season in many minds.
THE WONDER OF CHRISTMAS
The wonder of Christmas,
The birth of a Child,
The angels are singing His praises,
The people rejoice
At the sound of His voice
Echoing down through the ages.
Hope, love and laughter,
Peace and goodwill,
The message resounds loud and clear,
The birth of God’s Son,
His gift to us all,
This is the wonder of Christmas.
©1995
Merry Christmas to all and to all a good life.
It is one of those years when Christmas is not going to be very merry for some people. There are those who have lost loved ones over this past year, or even over a few years, who, although surrounded by family and friends will still feel alone. It comes with the territory; their special person is no longer with them to share the season with. There will be no special gift to think about, no one to decorate the tree with, no one to put their pinky to the wishbone with them. Each year gets a little easier, but for those spending a first Christmas without their loved one, this will be the most difficult.
Let there be some consolation in the words of Jesus in Matthew 28:20, “And surely I am with you always…”
If we believe in those words, feel the memory of love, submit to the peace of the season, we will realize that in most ways we are not alone.
Do you like to be appreciated; to be told you’re doing a good job, to be loved for who you are?
I saw an interview with author Gretchen Rubin and Oprah Winfrey last night. Gretchen wrote The Happiness Project, a book about creating your own happiness by concentrating on what you can change in your life to make happiness a reality rather than a longing.
The following are some of the helpful hints mentioned in the book:
Be yourself (authentic)
Let it go (the garbage we carry)
Act the way you want to feel (sing in the morning)
Be polite and be fair (respect others)
Don’t be calculating (don’t expect return favors)
There is only love (love is the tonic)
Oprah asked Gretchen if she liked to be praised (don’t we all?) and Gretchen’s response was, “Oh yes! I’m a gold star junkie. I loved to see those gold stars on the top of my homework when I was a child.”
Someone once said to me, “You only like to hear good things.” Well, yes, I do. It makes me happy to hear good things. It makes me happy to be appreciated, to be truly loved for who I am. But it makes me happier to see others happy and to help contribute to their happiness in any small way.
While visiting someone in hospital, she made this remark, “It makes me happy to see your face.” Gold Star!
Yup, I’m a gold star junkie…and a gold star goes to all who read this blog.
Today, I’d like to pay homage to a new friend in Bloggersville. His name is Steve. Steve is recovering from a hip and leg injury suffered from a fall in July. Steve thinks he is behind in replying to other people’s bogs, but believe me, he is way ahead of the game. This young man (he sounds like a young man) is the epitome of encouragement to me; always commenting positively on so many of my posts that it keeps a permanent smile on my face.
Steve is a Christian and introduces himself this way:
I am happy to share my Christian faith with you in various ways. I belong to a non-denominational group of Christians modeled after the New Testament church described in Acts chapter two. My intent is to worship God while in service to others. I believe in promoting Godly love, because the Lord God IS love! Please contact us here or at our website for more information! Thank you so much!
https://thetruelight2014.wordpress.com/
I am happy to share Steve’s site with you because he writes profoundly beautiful and inspiring works.
Wishing you well with your recovery, Steve, and thank you for shining your light on My Precious Life.
Many couples include in their marriage ceremony 1 Corinthians 13, what love is. “Love is patient, kind, it protects, trusts, hopes, perseveres…” and that is all good and wonderful. However, it should also be included in the lives of those who choose not to go the marriage route; it still applies; after all a relationship is a relationship; and love is love.
But what happens when things do not pan out after the love bug’s bite fades to a scar, the itch of passion has been soothed and the romance blinders come off? It has been said that love is blind; and maybe it is, because now our perfect person is slightly less so, as is the pleasing personality that first attracted us. We are no longer the center of attention, the object of affection, the beauty of the beholder. We are, alas, merely human, and our partner will continue to love us despite our human failings…or not.
Here is what love is not: love does not envy, does not boast, is not proud, does not dishonor others, is not self-seeking, is not easily angered, keeps no record of wrongs, does not delight in evil and never fails. Never fails? you say. That’s right…never fails, because love accepts our failings and idiosyncrasies, and makes allowances for what was not apparent in the infatuation stage. Love does that..if it doesn’t…it isn’t love.
Love is patient, love is kind, love trusts, love hopes, love perseveres.
Love is the antidote for what love is not.
Why did Jesus weep? Was it because his friend Lazarus had died? I don’t think so, because Jesus knew that he was going to bring Lazarus back to life. No, I’m sure it was because Mary and Martha, their friends, and even the disciples, after everything they had seen of Jesus performing countless miracles, still did not believe in him.
Jesus had many reasons to weep throughout his short ministry, and even to this day.
He weeps when he sees one human being beheading another. He weeps when we fly airplanes into tall buildings, killing thousands of innocent people. He weeps when bullets are pumped into human bodies by their fellow man. He weeps when his name is trashed; used as a curse instead of a blessing. He weeps when he reaches out to us and we turn our backs on him, or ridicule him, or deny his very existence. He weeps when we lose patience with family and friends, and when we fail to offer kindness and understanding instead of derogatory remarks. He weeps when lives are lost to cancer, humility is lost to vanity, and his love is tossed to the winds, instead of being embraced by humanity, to whom he freely gives.
John 11:35 is the shortest verse in the Bible…just two words: Jesus wept. Two words to show the true compassion of the greatest man who ever lived.
It’s enough to make me cry.
A couple of weeks ago the idea of posting short scriptures each Sunday occurred to me. Lo and behold, one of the recent suggestions from Blogging 101 was just that idea with an added bit about why a particular verse is meaningful to me.
Here is today’s feature:
Yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you even at my mother’s breast. From birth I was cast upon you; from my mother’s womb you have been my God. Psalm 22: 9,10
This is a psalm of David, and I love it because it is exactly the way I feel about God. His presence has been with me since day one which leads me to another scripture:
“…you whom I have upheld since you were conceived, and have carried since your birth. Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you…” Isaiah 46: 3,4
Another Sunday event today is a baby shower for Laura, the mother-to-be of my seventh great-grandchild.
My Precious Life 