Read the Best Christmas Catalog Ever!!!!!

Our Christmas tree only has one package beneath it. I have a few more things bought but haven’t had time to wrap them. I still have some shopping to do. While I love buying presents and the look on loved ones’ faces when they open the presents, it does take a lot of time and planning to get everyone something they really want.

By the time you get my age you know that people don’t always get exactly what they want for Christmas every single year. That’s okay. Because by the time you’re my age you also know that the most important gifts are not the packages under the tree. 

It’s a wonderful thing to realize that Jesus paid for everything we will ever need. And we can have the best Christmas ever no matter what. He lived and died and rose again to secure the most wonderful gifts for us. Yes, He made a way for us to live eternally in heaven but oh there’s so much more.

Reach under the tree and see what all is there for you.  There’s all the joy you will ever need, enough to get you through the saddest moments, that abiding joy is yours. Then there’s the peace that passes all understanding – it will guard your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus. There’s a full package of the love of God and. Keep looking and unwrap every gift from God – don’t leave a thing unopened for you need all the gifts God has for you to make it in this world, to excel as a believer and to triumph over anything the enemy throws at you. Every blessing God has is yours – every promise God spoke is for you. It’s as though you can buy anything in the store and keep it forever – straight from the storehouse of God’s Word!

Oh beloved, run to God's Word and read it, for it contains more promises of gifts from the Giver of Life than any Christmas catalog ever designed.  And don’t let your heart worry over what might not be, but instead concentrate on the gifts of God that belong to you in Christ Jesus. See how wonderfully blessed you are? Look beyond the temporal to the eternal and rejoice that Christ is indeed Lord of Christmas and Lord of all.  He loves you and He’s for you and that’s a gift no one can take from you no matter what. 

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the FREE GIFT of God is eternal life.

James 1:17 Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.

Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Psalm 119:111 I have inherited Your testimonies forever, For they are the joy of my heart.

Rest Area Ahead - Please Pull Over

With a smart phone, which most people have now, you can do just about everything. You can order a meal, buy an outfit, listen to music, keep in contact with friends, take pictures, work from home, type a letter, talk to friends and family, read the Bible and check the news and weather. Pretty amazing. Amazing more, you can walk around and never even talk face to face with another person and get all this done!  I’m not making fun of smart phones, I have one and so does my husband. We find them to be very convenient. With my car the phone connects to a speaker and I have hands free use while driving.

Just about everything in our lives is instant. But there’s a cost to it all. We now pay more for our phones than we paid for our entire month’s bills when we were first married.  We now struggle when we’re in a “dead zone” for fear someone might try to reach us or we might need to reach out to someone else or check the weather, etc.

Although smart phones have given us instant access to so much information and so many people, we haven’t really found more time. Just like other time savers, it has caused us to become even busier. Our lives are hectic, harried and fast paced. Often we find that the very things that were meant to help us have actually hindered us. We get frustrated when the microwave goes for 30 seconds!

God speaks to my heart: It is in quietness and time alone that you will find your most needed connection and that is with Me. I AM the answer to all your problems, but you must take time to spend it with Me. I know your situation, I know your time constraints and I know your heart. If you will stop and carve out time in My presence I will slow your racing heart, calm your racing mind and give you peace – real peace. As you spend time with Me you will find real answers that you have been anxiously searching for and you will be able to relax and rest. The more you take time to spend with Me, the more you will hear from Me. I will help you, I will guide you, I will speak to your heart about every other thing that is going on in your life. In My presence you will find out how to make it all work, put it all together and have time to do what you have to do. And My presence causes you to have more time because I redeem and bless time spent with Me.

Oh beloved, maybe it’s time to pull over. Take a rest stop from the frantic pace of life. Enjoy time with God. Although everything you do is important to your life, it is also very important that you slow down and rest - Rest in His presence - Rest in His grace - Rest in His power. God never hurries. There are no deadlines against which He must work. His life saving plans are found in His Word and they will sustain you wherever you must go, whatever you must do.

God loves you and He’s for you and that’s what gives you rest and peace for your busy life.   

Matthew 11:28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.] AMP

Philippians 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension , will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. NAS

Isaiah 30:15 This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: “Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength…

Matthew 6:33 But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

In His Presence is Your Peace!

Decorating cakes is one of my favorite things to do, especially for my grandkids. Although I’m not really an artist, I do get artistic pleasure from creating a “masterpiece” of icing and cake mix. I admit sometimes I am “under the gun” as to time for getting this done.

Getting ready for Stella’s birthday party was an under the gun time in my life. Danny’s aunt was sick and we were preparing for a secular event to work. We were juggling our schedule, thinking ahead and hoping everything would land together in a good way.

Turns out of course that our plans don’t always go so smoothly. I baked the cake one night and finished decorating it the afternoon before Stella’s party, the same afternoon we left for West Texas and a family funeral. I was definitely under the gun!

The finishing touch on Peppa Pig (the cake) were her eyes. Danny got off work and ran by the store to pick up the tubed black icing.  They were out! I knew I had seen some candy eyes so I asked him to just pick a package of those up. They’d have to do.  I was also playing with grandkids, sweeping the kitchen floor (long overdue) and packing our clothes.  Are you starting to get the feeling that I was stressed?

As Danny ran in, handing me the eyes, I opened them and saw that they weren’t the candy eyes but rather plastic ones! I knew it was too late to do anything about it, so I told Stella’s mom to make sure nobody ate them! LOL   The jitter of juggling everything was starting to show and I could NOT get those plastic eyes in the right place on Peppa’s face! Danny got the tweezers for me and picked up Stella, who was now crying and wanting “cake, cake, cake”.  One little boy was climbing on the bar to look at the cake, another little boy had fever and was sitting in the recliner, one daughter was watching and Danny and Stella were right next to me.  Now as I look back at it all, I am laughing, but right then it was anything but funny.

I exclaimed to Danny, holding the crying granddaughter, “please take her somewhere else for a moment! I can’t get these eyes on the cake!” I had made everything on that cake just right, but those little eyes were going to be my undoing. I was worn slap out! I had had enough noise and help and attention and company.  I just needed a quiet moment to finish the embellishment. I just needed a little silence to concentrate. It wasn’t about the clatter – no one was doing anything wrong. I just needed a moment. A moment to block out the noise and concentrate so I could finish things up right.

Ever feel like that? Ever wonder how you started out a simple faith seeker and ended up a juggler in life’s circus? Is the noise of even the fun things becoming deafening to you as you try to concentrate on both your physical life and your spiritual life? Do you ever wonder if you’ll get things done right and make everyone happy and get to enjoy life again? Do you long for just a moment of quiet so you can think about what you’re doing and get it right?  

Oh beloved, maybe it’s time to get away with Jesus! God knows how stressful your life can be. He knows the demands of your work, your home, your family and your faith. He knows that you may wear 10 different hats and juggle 10 different tasks. He also knows the solution for stress is to let Him bless! Bless you with time alone with Him. Bless you with spiritual delights in your quiet time. Bless you with His help to get everything done.  Bless you with His joy and peace. Bless you with the knowledge that - while it’s impossible to have it all, make everyone happy and hold it all up by yourself – He will hold it all up for you as you let Him be there for you! Slip away into His loving arms. Rest in His loving Word. At the Name of Jesus, and in His presence, weariness must flee, worry must vanish and peace will reign.

He loves you, precious child, and He’s for you, beloved believer. And that’s all that really matters!

Luke 10:41 But the Lord said to her, "My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details!

I Chronicles 16:27 Honor and majesty are [found] in His presence; strength and joy are [found] in His sanctuary. (Amplified)

Psalm 89:15 Happy are those who hear the joyful call to worship, for they will walk in the light of your presence, Lord.

In His Presence is Peace!

Fall is one of my favorite times of year. I love the reds, browns and golds of the season. I can observe the beautiful leaves as I drive onto our street, with the large oak trees lining the lawns, including ours. Each day I’ve noticed how the colors get more and more vivid. From the green hues of summer to pale yellows of early fall to the brightest autumn colors. Oak and sweet gum leaves are aflame with color.  The view is always so nice.

As I drove into our street yesterday afternoon I was surprised to notice a big change in the view. Ankle deep leaves now line the street while most of the trees are pretty bare. The season has changed again and it’s beginning to look like winter. The stark reality was colder and less welcoming. I remembered that my home was filled with light and warmth and color. I couldn’t wait to get inside and gaze at our lovely Christmas tree and rest.

Life can change in an instant, just like the seasons. One day you’re enjoying the beautiful view and all is well. The next day things can change. The outlook can go from pleasant and enjoyable to stark and cold in the blink of an eye. Outside there are troubles, dangers, temptations, and more. Hurts and anguish can totally replace the warmth of former days. Our reliance on the world around us becomes very apparent when it all goes south. That’s when we long for the warm fire of our home and the familiar smells and sights that bring us great comfort.

God spoke to my heart. The Christian life has seasons as well. When life goes into winter mode and we find nothing pleasant in the view and our hearts are cold from the troubles, we seek for solace somewhere. As soon as we go into the house of God, into His presence, we are relieved. Things outside of His presence may not change quickly or ever, but God’s presence is the only thing we really need to fulfill the longing of our hearts. His warmth is ever present, His truth is full of the colors of His personality and essence and we find that in basking in Him we are not only revived, we are strengthened for the next day.

Oh beloved, run to the Lord! Rest in His promises! Seek out His loving presence. He’s calling you to come in out of the weather and sit with Him. Relax in all that He is. He is greater than your troubled world, He is full of warmth. All you need, absolutely everything, is met in Him. It may be winter in your life, but in His presence it’s lovely!  Gaze into His Wonderful Face and rest in Him. His love will warm you all the days of your life and His comfort and care will cause you to forget your surroundings as you concentrate totally on Him.  He takes your ordinary problem filled days and makes them Holy as He consecrates your life to Himself! Thank Him today for He is your refuge and source of blessings always.

Psalm 43:3-5 Send out your light and your truth; let them guide me.  Let them lead me to your holy mountain, to the place where you live.  There I will go to the altar of God. To God—the source of all my joy. I will praise you with my harp, O God, my God!   Why am I discouraged?  Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God!  I will praise Him again— my Savior and my God!

2 Corinthians 1:3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort.

Psalm 31:20 You hide them in the shelter of your presence, safe from those who conspire against them. You shelter them in your presence, far from accusing tongues.

Psalm 91:1 Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.