Baby Jesus is Still Here

Why is there such an excitement to decorate and get things ready at Christmastime? I find myself looking towards Christmas as soon as all the stores start putting out the merchandise....which of course is earlier and earlier every year. I start looking at recipes, using Pinterest to organize my craft projects and flipping through magazines for the latest fads in achieving the best look for our home. I really love the holidays....until they are over.

Then there's the dreaded untrimming of the tree, the sprigs of evergreen that are forEVER embedded in your carpet. The hauling away of the dead tree or the packing up of the artificial tree. The ornaments....storage. The dust that seems to be covering everything and the lights.....don't even get me started on the lights. And while the end result is that everything is tidied up and back in order....it is A LOT of work. ...maybe that's when they should serve the eggnog.....Ok...only joking!!!!

This year I thought I had just about remembered to get everything back up to the attic and out to storage shed in one day. Bruce had helped and the kids had "participated" in helping. We had it knocked out in a couple of hours. Until later that day I went outside and realized I had forgotten the nativity set off the front porch. No biggie....I just brought them into the foyer and figured we get them upstairs soon.

Until "soon" still hasn't happened. Baby Jesus is still here. In the foyer. By the front door. His little naked body swaddled up greeting everyone as they come and go. My piano students find it comical. I find it ... comical and a little reassuring. Jesus is still here.

Jesus doesn't leave because we wrap and pack Him up. He's with us...in our coming and goings. He's profusely aware of us....and sometimes..just like on the porch at Christmas, I forget He's even here at all. No...He's not in baby form anymore.....but His spirit is in my home..my heart....always. His presence filling each space.

So maybe you've forgotten about Jesus after Christmas...He's packed away safe and secure until next Christmas season. It isn't too late to remember...For our family that means we have a small nativity out all year long in our dining room. Sure...people ask about it but that's even better...we get to share the story. Maybe you can find someway to remind yourself that Jesus is still here....that He is Emmanuel, God with us.

Day #13 Beautiful Gospel

Day #2 Beautiful Mistakes

The most beautiful melodies started out by someone playing and humming notes until the progression of musical phrases sounded perfectly perfect to the composer's ear. I'm curious to know how many beautiful mistakes Chris Tomlin or Matt Redman or Kari Jobe have made before getting their songs on the radio. I like to imagine, that like me, they've made their share of beautiful mistakes.

Beautiful mistakes are the ones we make when we are in the throws of really trying...trying to write a new song, learn a new sport, parent a two year old. These are the ones that challenge us to persevere..to keep trying....to stay the course. These mistakes are beautiful. They reflect the human spirit. The go-getter-done attitude. It's in the student and parent and author and athlete. And sometimes...it's in me.

You see, I don't really like messing up but one thing I know now is that it's worth working through the mistakes, the disappointments and the goof-ups. It's worth it to try hard and to persevere. In fact, it's completely Biblical. We're told to keep on keepin' on, in James 1:2-4 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

God's job is to worry about the end result...ours is to be faithful to the task that He's called us to. And if along the way, things get a little crazy and we hit some wrong notes or a foul ball or yell at the kids a time or two, just get back to the business you're called to do. We're not trying to earn anything by our trying...in fact our mistakes prove...we can't earn anything. Because it's in these mistakes that we find we need God the most..without Him we can do nothing. When we struggle and put forth our best effort God is watching. He sees our feeble attempts as we try to raise kids and work jobs and serve in church and coach soccer. Better than that, He sees our hearts. He sees our motives and He sees our beautiful mistakes. Each and every one. And He loves us enough to want to make us beautiful in HIS time. 

Our imperfections only show us how badly we need Him. As I sit here and type I look at the band aid that is covering an imperfection on my arm. Today I sat in the dermatologist office while the Dr. numbed my arm, removed a small growth off my arm, and gave me three stitches to patch my skin back together. Now I wait for a pathology report...which I trust will be fine. But this imperfection, this blemish, this mistake (according to the world) has drawn me closer to Jesus. Closer to trusting Him, closer to believing Him, closer to wanting His will. That's what makes it beautiful. It's what He's doing in you that makes your mistakes..your blemishes...your melody line... less disastrous. It's grace. 

I think of all the crafting that's done with repurposed furniture and supplies...even sweaters are unraveled and resold as yarn (I know this is true...I saw it on etsy). I think God is in the business of taking the scraps of our lives and making something incredibly beautiful from the brokenness. 

So, don't give up! Because persevering makes your messes beautiful. God's right there beside you putting the finishing touches on something better than you can imagine. He's drawing you closer to Himself. Don't resist. He wants to make your mistakes beautiful too. 

Think about what He did for:

Rahab....prostitute turned female line to Jesus Christ

Moses...stutterer turned leader of Israel

Paul...persecuted Christians turned great man of faith

Jonah....runaway preacher turned revival preacher

God uses broken, handicapped people all the time. He's ready for you ...so persevere my friend. And when you stumble, trip, hit a wrong note or a foul ball....stay close to Him. You're His masterpiece...even in the midst of your mistakes. 

Survival of the Fittest

This is the time of year that things get a little crazy at our house.

I'm sparing you the details because your schedule is just like mine. 

I'm no super woman, so casually, last week I announced to Bruce that for the next three weeks we are on survival mode. Then I explained that we would be greeting any unexpected visitors at the door and we would step outside so they would not see the horrible condition of the house...or the left over to go containers from our favorite eating establishment or the laundry that has overtaken my den. We would also not be hosting any sleep overs for the kids, any tupperware parties, book clubs, boy scout meetings or small groups. I then suggested nonchalantly that there may come a time where it's every man for himself. 

And in a moment of pure genius, Bruce said, "OK, what can I do to help you?" ...I'm telling you I'm a blessed girl. 

There was a comfort in those words. Someone who really knows me, knows my tendency to overcommit, to underestimate the amount of work really required for a certain task, someone who is aware of my faults....He could have said a million other caddy things...but instead offered a helping hand. And I took it. Pride in my back pocket and humility on my lips, we mapped out our strategy for the next few weeks...the laundry, the allergy stricken kids, the taekwondo, the piano lessons, the Bible studies, the jobs, the meals. We've got a better handle on it...because someone offered to lend some support. 

Isn't that what God does for us? We get in over our heads and so many times He rescues us from ourselves? No guilt, no shame, no condescending tone of reprimand. When I come to Him overwhelmed, with my list of things I don't know how I'm going to accomplish, He gives perspective, peace, His presence, guidance, strength and comfort. And in humility we can either grab His nail scarred hand or we can continue in our own proud strength. 

I know, for myself, He's given me more clean starts and helping hands than I deserve. If you need one today...all you need to do is reach. He's waiting. 

PS - (I still don't recommend an impromptu visit to the house..it's kind of an "enter at your own risk!"). School's out in 2 weeks!!!

Jesus Accessories

I was thinking (OK....honestly, I was dreading) about going back to school. I love my class...I love teaching...but I love my own family, home and church ministries more...and sometimes I wish I could be 2-3 places at once. But, God gave me this great job and I will do it until He says, "Finished".

Anyway...I digress.

I was laying out all our clothes for tomorrow's first day back to school and the convicting thought struck me...I need to put on His (God's) glory. The Lord has been so good to me and in the midst of my dreading going back to school I was reminded of the large ministry He has given me with my class at school. It hit me that these clothes I was laying out merely cover up this body I'm in and that more than anything my class and their parents need to see God's glory. It prompted me to make a short list of what that might look like...it's by no means conclusive....

1. Joy on my face
2. A listening ear
3. A spirit of humility
4. A friendly countenance
5. A word of encouragement
6. My best foot forward
7. A less of me is more of Jesus attitude
8. Thankful heart
9. Appreciative spirit

What if I really concentrated on Glorifying Him...on Exuding Him...on Sharing Him....and less about my own agenda? What could happen? I'd say the possibilities are endless!

Here's to an amazing first day back to school. If your like me and are working on glorifying Him more this year, what Jesus accessories are you putting on today?

Being Real

Do you like.....

powdered eggs
powdered milk
instant tea
margarine
fake flowers
fake friends

???

To be entirely honest, I don't like any of these...yet I have experienced each one and in some ways realize the reason for them. But, for most people, we like the real stuff....real butter, real eggs, whole milk, fresh brewed iced tea, a beautiful garden of fresh flowers and real die hard stick with you til the end love you enough to tell you the truth friends.

We like real. So what does that mean? According to Webster's online dictionary: 1: of or relating to fixed, permanent, or immovable things (as lands or tenements) 2a : not artificial, fraudulent, or illusory : genuine <realgold>; also : being precisely what the name implies realprofessional>


I love the definition. But when I think about it...the only thing in life that I need to even come close to this expectation is in  my relationship with Christ....and to be even more honest...it's more like Christ's relationship with me. I find myself moving around all the time...trying but failing, trusting yet worrying, disciplined but fickle....relate??? Yet, he is unmovable, unshakable, stable, permanent, grounded, rooted. 


What a real faith I am able to experience because of HIS realness. Oh how blessed I am. 


Is there something REAL about Jesus that you're thankful for? Share it here...or with someone else today!