Reflect The Light

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{{It is Friday. Today I link with Lisa Jo Baker for Five Minute Friday. Here is how it works…. One word prompt. Five minutes. No editing. Lots of women. Everyone writes on the same word. Equals a great time.}}

And…this is the last FMF of 2013 as the linkup goes on sabbatical until after the New Year.

Today’s word ….. reflect.

Whether we realize it or not -  we all reflect something. We cast an image, we reproduce, or we throw back. The question becomes …. what do we want to reflect?

How interesting to me that Lisa Jo would pick the word “reflect” on the day that Nelson Mandela departed from this world. For here was a man that reflected much – courage, truth, justice, integrity, a love for his people. And his legacy will be remembered as such. Each of those characteristics will be displayed in each and every book and movie that will be made about his life.

But we each reflect something as well. Every day.

This Advent Season my desire is to reflect The One whose birth I am remembering. Celebrating. The birth that turned this world upside down. Turned my world around. As I read the word, “reflect”, it was then that a line from a Christmas song came to me….

From a million points of light
A reflection of something that’s deeper within
Just a flicker of something more

Humming the familiar song, I remember – Jesus, Light of the World. Of my world. Of our world. He is the “something deeper within” me. I am praying that He will shine in my heart, in our hearts, this Advent season. I pray that my life will reflect Him and shine brightly in a world which is desperate need of a Savior. May we reflect Him and Him only.

And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:18, NIV)

Today I am joining …Lisa Jo at Five Minute Friday and Friendship Fri. and Faith Filled Fri. and Fun Fri. Blog Hop and Faithful Fri. Blog Hop and Fri. Flash Blog and Essential Fri. and Womanhood With Purpose .

Grown Up Christmas List

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I went through my teenage years listening to Amy Grant & Kathy Troccoli music. Loved them both! So it should not come as a surprise that one of my favorites Christmas songs is on Amy Grant’s Christmas CD. I have loved this song for years. Even at other times of the year, this song speaks to my heart.

Here’s my life long wish, My grownup Christmas list. Not for myself but for a world in need.

I do not think there has ever been a time where I have been more aware of the brokenness which is in our world. In our lives. And it is into our brokenness that our Savior broke in that first Christmas. Or perhaps He broke open our brokenness.

No more lives torn apart, that wars would never start and time would heal all hearts.

Time does not heal all hearts. But the Babe in the manger did come for that very reason. “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” (Psalm 147:3). He, Himself, dresses our wounds, bandages our hearts so that we do not hemorrhage.

Everyone would have a friend.

It is at this time of year, loneliness is most on display. May those who are alone experience the truth that we have a friend that sticks closer than a brother (Prov.18:24). The Life born in the stable came to bring life and to call us His friend.

Right would always win and Love would never end.

Right will always win. One day He will right all wrongs. And in the meantime, we keep loving others. Loving Him. “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.Love never ends.” (1 Corinthians 13:7-8, ESV).

Perhaps our Christmas Wish List should look more like this: jesus%27+christmas+list“He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8, NIV).

May this song by Amy Grant bless deeply today!

Today I am joining with … Thurs. Favorite Things and Time Travel Thurs. and Word Filled Wed. and Thankful Thurs. and Blog Lovin’ and Thriving Thurs. and Thrive At Home and Thought Provoking Thurs. and A Heart For Home and Thoughtful Thurs. .

 

Hear The Bells

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ID-100159137(Photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net/Evgeni Dinev)

This morning my thoughts turned to wondering …… When will our first Christmas card arrive in the mail? Who will send the first one? The very first one this year? One thing I know for sure is that our card will never be the first to arrive in any mailbox. No matter how well intentioned I may be, I never seem to get them out early enough.

And then I found myself wondering …. What will be the most frequently used words in the cards this year?

“Peace on earth, good will to men.”

At the time of Jesus’ birth, these were the very words declared by the angels (found in Luke 2:14). They were referring to the fullness of blessing which the birth of our Savior would bring. Salvation. Well-being for His people. It was not just the absence of hostility or conflict.

Then rang the bells more loud and deep, God is not dead, nor doth He sleep.

Four centuries passed in which God was silent. Not a word. No prophecy given. The people had to be wondering, “Where is He?”. Yet the psalmist tells us, “Indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.” (Psalm 121:4) Every minute He is awake and attentive to His people. His silence is not indicative of inactivity. There will be a day when He will right every wrong.

The Christmas bells WILL ring this year as they have every year since His birth. Here’s the thing …..

And with our hearts we’ll hear them.

There are truths that we will only be able to hear with our hearts. Perhaps that is why Jesus prayed for our “hearing”: “Then Jesus said, ‘He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” (Mark 4:9). He knew our hearts and ears need to work in conjunction with one another.

Open up your heart and hear them.

May we open our hearts to Him. May we hear all that He is saying to us this Advent season. “I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord.” (Jeremiah 24:7).

These words can be found in the Christmas carol, “I Heard The Bells”. May they sink in deep as you listen. And may you bend in close to Him and hear Him for yourself!

Joining with …… Tuesdays Unwrapped and  Walk Humbly With God and Tell Me A Story and Unite and Soli Deo Gloria and Titus 2sday and Teach Me Tues. and Women Helping Women and Testimony Tues. and Titus 2 Tues. and Tell His Story and Whimsical Wed. and Imperfect Prose .

Hark The Herald Angels Sing

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I started pulling out my Christmas CD’s almost two weeks ago. I love Christmas music. Always have. As of late, I realized that I can sing them and almost, just almost, miss the depth of meaning found in those familiar words….

Peace on earth and mercy mild. God and sinners reconciled.

Could we even have imagined all that the birth of that babe was going to offer this world? Man would finally have a way to be reconciled to God. A new offering for sin that would be “once, for all”. And that would include each of us that comes to Him.

For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. (2 Corinthians 5: 18, NLT)

Pleased as man with man to dwell. Jesus, our Immanuel.

Jesus, our Immanuel, walking and living on this earth, experiencing the same life that we each do. Living with us, among us and now in us.

All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet: “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him, Immanuel, which means ‘God with us.’ ” (Matthew 1: 22-23, NLT)

Light and life to all He brings. Ris’n with healing in His wings.

Here is the promise of spiritual restoration – of light & life. Jesus the Light of the world. Jesus the Bread of life. And it is in Him we find protection and healing and rescue.

But for you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings. (Malachi 4: 2, NLT)

Born that man no more may die. Born to raise the sons of earth. Born to give them second birth.

It is in and through Him that we receive eternal life. He came. He died. That we might live.

Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. (John 3: 5-6, NLT)

May the words and depth of their meaning fall on you anew as you listen to “Hark The Herald Angels Sing.”

Today I joined with these blogs … Hear It, Use It and Sharing His Beauty and Inspire Me Mon. and Motivation Mon. and Making Your Home Sing and  Mommy Mon. and Living Proverbs 31 and Mom’s Mon. Mingle and Mon. Musings and The Modest Mom and Playdates With God and Miscellany Mon.

Fully Come

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(photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net/ideago)

It is hard to believe that the Christmas season is upon us….

But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son… (Galatians 4:4, NLT)

In reading those words, I realized that God always keeps His promise. He also keeps it according to His time schedule which is so different than our schedules. When the time has fully come. If we have not seen the fulfillment of a promise, the time has not yet fully come. And so we wait, much the way the world waited for His birth.

Lord, thank You for speaking to us through Your Word and Your prophets. It strengthens my faith to read of the many things that were prophesied in Your Word which have already come to pass. I know this means that every promise in Your Word will be fulfilled. Thank You for always keeping Your promises.

I humble myself before You this day and ask that You would help me to clearly hear and understand Your instructions to me. Enable me to fully know Your laws and obey them. Give me every-increasing faith to believe that Your promises are true. Help me to see all the promises to me in Your Word so that I can stand strong in them and rest in You as I wait for them to be fulfilled in my life.

In Jesus’ name I pray.

Amen.

(Excerpt taken from The Power of Christmas Prayer by Stormie Omartian, page 15)

Today I joined …. Spiritual Sundays and Still Saturday and Sunday Stillness and The Sunday Community and Scripture & A Snapshot .

Tadeo Turtle: A Delightful Tale!

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Tadeo-Cover-final-for-webThis morning I was delighted to read a children’s book – “Tadeo Turtle” by author Janis Cox. This is a tale of a turtle who struggles to accept himself as God created him to be. Janis tells the story so simply, with words that weave and rhyme, which will draw a child in and hold their attention. She has included her own illustrations, which are both compelling and precious.

Having read this on the heals of Thanksgiving, I found the book also drives home this truth: we should be thankful for who God created each of us to be. Janis has based her tale on the truths found in Psalm 139:13-14, NLT.

The author includes four crafts to reinforce the tale which are simple for any elementary age child to do with assistance. The completed projects will be a delight to each child.

She has also developed a complete curriculum to go along with this book which can be incorporated into the following seven content areas: math, language, music, Scripture study, science, art and physical education. That can be obtained through her website as well.

Janis is a wife, mother, grandmother and a retired school teacher. Her love for both her God and for children shines through each page of this book.

This book makes a wonderful addition to any personal or school library. She is currently offering a special on her site from now until Tuesday, Dec.3rd by which you not only get the book but two special gifts. It can also be purchased on Amazon or Barnes & Noble .

**I was given all materials in exchange for my opinion. The opinions expressed here are all my own and this book was truly a joy to review.