Ending 2008

2008. What has it meant for you?
Good, bad, fortunate, unfortunate, blessing....cursing....sickness...health?
Maybe 2008 has been a mix of all the above.

For me 2008 has been another turning point.
I started the year with pneumonia that became a chronic lung condition.
For a few days I awaited tests to see if I too had lung cancer, the same cancer that took my father.

Thankfully, for now, the spot on the lung appears to be just scarring of some kind. ( I have never smoked but my lungs have been affected by 2nd hand smoke exposure, which I had no control over...there are many things in life that we have no control over!)
However, the turning point came in realizing that I worry too much.

Do you worry too much?
How is that going for you? Does it change anything?

The main thing that God has been speaking to me all year is one word... PROVISION.
He continually keeps telling me, in each new situation, that He is my provision. This providence has no boundaries but applies to relationships, finances, health, emotional needs, spiritual desires. He is my Provision!

He is yours too.
Take that word today and hold it in your heart.
Begin the new year with that word...PROVISION.

How can we lead others when we don't even embrace the most basic of truths. PROVISION.

"Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides with with everything." 1 Timothy 6:17

Oswald Chambers says:
"He urges us to keep our minds filled with the concept of God's control over everything. Fill your mind with the through that God is there. And once your mind is truly filled with that thought, when you experience difficulties it will be as easy as breathing for you to remember, " My heavenly Father knows all about this!" This will be no effort at all, but will be as natural thing for you when difficulties and uncertainties arise. Before you formed this concept of divine control so powerfully in your mind, you used to go from person to person seeking help, but now you go to God about it. Jesus is laying down the rules of conduct for those people who have His Spirit, and it works on the following principle: God is my Father, He loves me, and I will never think of anything that He will forget, so why should I worry?"

Celebrate His Provision, Care and Love for you as you go into 2009.
Your God will supply all your needs in Christ Jesus today, and every day of the New Year!

Today's Prayer
Father,
I pray a blessing of peace and absence of worry over each woman reading this blog. Make real to her the truth that you are her Provision in every area. Help her to begin the new year with absolute trust in the God who loves her most. Be our everything Jesus, our everything.

Submitting My Will to God's Will

As we approach the New Year, the resolutions, the desire for change and the hope for better tomorrows....we must be very conscious of not entering into an agreement with our flesh for change. What does that mean? It means that we must not depend on our own strength or will to bring about change in us or our circumstances. Instead we must get alone with God, and through a prayer conversation we are to give him each detail that needs changing...one by one. As we go through our list, we must come into an agreement with the Spirit that it is not by might nor by our power, but by God's Spirit that real and lasting change occurs.

What does your inventory list say?
I would love to hear from some of you.
What is it that you are being required to submit to God in 2009?

Together let's trust our will over to the will of God. Let's surrender all and see the sanctification of our life blossom before our very eyes!

Looking forward to hearing from you....

Heavenly Father,
I come to you this morning with the areas in my life that I know must be submitted to you. I am pondering how I have tried to change these in my own strength in the past with no lasting success. This year I come submitting my weakness to you and asking for the strength of your Holy Spirit to be at work in me. Change me Lord. Change Me. Less of Me and More of Thee.

Moving into somethng NEW....

New Year, New Choices, Fresh Starts.

I love this time of year. There is anticipation of a clean slate, a fresh start, and a new beginning. Though that new beginning is available each day of the year, it somehow seems more "real" when the New Year rings in each January.

I encourage you to take some time taking a personal inventory. Think about what it is in your life that needs a fresh start or a new beginning. Determine to live intentionally trusting God in that area. Keep in mind that all of us can change because as believers we are filled with the Holy Spirit of power, guidance and truth.

I started yesterday with a major closet cleanse! Yes, that's right. I came up with 7 hefty garbage bags filled with clothes and shoes that I don't wear enough to keep. I will donate them today.

It's time for a new beginning, time to be Wildly devoted to God in all areas. I am excited about trusting Him, serving Him, listening to His voice, and carrying out His will in my little corner of the world in 2009.

Mark 14:1-9 Let's once again look at Mary of Bethany.

The passage in Mark is a story about Mary of Bethany, whom we know as the girl who sat at the feet of Jesus, and the sister to "busy bee" Mary, and "up from the grave" Lazarus. In this passage we are told that Mary poured an expensive jar of perfume on the head of Jesus while he was at Simon's home before the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Those who watched her criticized this action towards Jesus accusing her of being wasteful-- they thought the perfume could have been sold to provide money for the poor.
But, Jesus said,
"Leave her alone. " "Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing...She did what she could." Mark 14:6,8

She Did What She Could!

Mary had taken what she had, the alabaster jar, and she used what she had, to do what she could. In this case, she anointed the head of Jesus, with what she had...and Jesus said, "She has done a beautiful thing" v. 6

Mary is an example of a WILD woman. What she did was frowned upon...from sitting at the feet of Jesus, to breaking the seal on the alabaster jar. Her love for Jesus was not politically or socially correct or understood. Yet, Jesus said that sitting at his feet would not be taken from her, and that the lavish perfume given for him was a beautiful thing. It's WILD to please God rather than people. It's WILDER still to do just WHAT we have been called and created to do--no more, no less.

As leaders we are not required to do EVERYTHING, or ALL that we can. We can learn from this and do just WHAT we can, in each moment, in each day, unto Jesus.

Are you doing what you could today?

I want to do what I can, just like Mary who "did what she could". Jesus said she did " a beautiful thing" and I want that response from my Lord too. I want to do what only I can do with the hopes of Jesus saying that my actions were to Him a beautiful thing too.

How about you?

Today's Prayer
Father, I come to you today and ask that you will begin placing on my heart the very area that you want me to trust you for change in this next year. I dedicate myself to believing that your power working in me can be the pathway to something new and different in my life. I thank you that you are my Freedom!

A Christmas Gift For You!

Click on the link below for a free download of Sherri Youngward's song PEACE.
http://www.sherriyoungward.com/music.aspx

Let it wash over your mind and heart this Christmas.
Merry! Merry!

Celebrate His Peace...
The greatest gift every given was not presented in a dazzling cathedral with exquisite stained glass, nor was it opened on a flashy stage with booming music and all the media bells and whistles. Rather, the greatest gift ever given came during the dark of the night, under the stars of the Bethlehem skies, in a plain field, with ordinary animals milling about. The greatest gift ever given came through the miracle of God's Holy Spirit overshadowing a young teenage girl, filling her with himself, and doing the impossible.

How could this be? Because with God nothing is impossible.
And, this God, this baby, this gift was to be called Immanuel which means, God with Us.
This baby who grew to be the boy Jesus and the man who changed the world forever, came in a most un-ordinary way, because he is an extraordinary God.

And, He shall be called....
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Christmas Prayer
Father, May we never forget you, never cease to live for you, and always be ready to please you with all that we are and all that we have. We give you our lives as a gift. Amen

Merry Christmas!

RSVP Today!

You Are Cordially Invited
To A Birthday Celebration.

Guest of Honor: Jesus Christ

Date: December 25th

Time: When you're ready, ( please don't be late, though; or
you'll miss out on all the fun!!! )

Place: In your Heart...He'll meet you there ( you'll hear Him
knock )

Attire: Come as you are...grubbies are okay. He'll be washing
our clothes anyway. He said something about new
white robes and crowns for everyone who stays till the
last.

Tickets: Admission is free. He's already paid for everyone..( He
says you would not have been able to afford it...it cost
Him everything he had! )

Refreshments: New wine, bread and a far-out drink that He calls
living water, followed by a supper that promises to be
out of this world!!!

Gift Suggestions: Your Heart. He's one of those people who
already has everything else. He's very generous in
return though; just wait until you see what He has for
you.

Entertainment: Joy, Peace, Truth, Light, Life, Love, Real
Happiness, Communion with God, Forgiveness,
Miracles, Healing, Power, Eternity in Paradise, and
much more!
( All rated "G" so bring your family and friends )

R.S.V.P. Very important! He must know ahead so he can
reserve a spot for you at the table. Also He's keeping
a list of His friends for future reference. He calls it the
( "Lambs Book Of Life" )

Hope To See You There!!!


May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Romans 15:13 *NIV



Christmas Prayer
Thank you for the hope of knowing you. I am excited about celebrating your birth and joining in the party of praise. May joy and peace overflow in me now by the power of your Holy Spirit.

Focused Hustle and Bustle....

I woke up this morning rushed,
stressed and racing for a pen and paper.
I was about to make my final Christmas "to-do" list when I stopped and took a breath.
Breathe in, Breathe out......
Quick breath and off I went to an early before -work breakfast with some women.
Great time! Fun! Fellowship! Merry!

Off again...about my day.
In the parking lot my car would not start....
Left my lights on in the midst of hustle bustle.
Ugh!
Breathe in, Breathe out....
It could be worse!

Focus is what our life is all about!

Focus: The central point of attention or activity to aim attention at...to fix, fasten, fixate or sharpen.

Synonyms: center, core, focal point, heart, hub, target

Proverbs 23:7
"For as he thinks in his heart, so is he." NKJV

"For as he thinks within himself, so he is. he says to you " Eat and drink!" but his heart is not with you. " NASB

Focus is about what we fix our thoughts on, what we pay attention to. And, according to Proverbs what we think about is really who we are at the core of us. So...where is your focus?

In the middle of the hustle and bustle, drained battery in the car and drained energy in my mind.....I am reminded that my focus is to be on the God who gives me life. Breathe...yes! Breathe....yes!
Breathe in the fresh peace that only comes from God.
not at this world gives...but as only God can give.

After all, the crux of the Christmas message was foretold in Isa 9:6...

For unto us a child is born, and he will be called:

• Wonderful Counselor
• Mighty God
• Everlasting Father
• Prince of Peace

Be filled with Peace in the midst of it all.
Smile...God is with you
Smile...the son was born to be LIFE to you
Smile...God is our source
Smile...it could be worse, you could be alone to fend for yourself
Smile...Because of Jesus you are never alone!
Christmas Prayer
Lord may my hustle and bustle remain focused and not frenzied. May I gain strength from you as I race about my errands and live through this day....2 days before Christmas. Lord, I want you. I want my heart to be fixated on you.

Make Today Count

Focus is what our life is all about.
Where is your focus today?
Mine is finishing Christmas,
attending Chelsea's memorial service,
and finally...getting my hair done.

I also want to focus on Christ and obedience to Him in all things today.

That might look like a prayer that goes:

• Lord, lead me to the right gifts that will be a blessing and fit in my budget.
• Lord, speak to my heart about giving to those in need. Who else might I reach out to?
  
• Lord, may I be a light at Chelsea's service. You are in me everywhere I go, I acknowledge that and pray that your grace will pour forth from me.
  
• Lord, be with Chelsea's family and friends today.
• Lord, may I be a blessing to my niece who does my hair.
• Lord, may I think of you many times today, focus upwards and give thanks.
• Lord, may I not forget you at all in the middle of the hustle and bustle of real life.
  

On and on....what is your focus?

Beth Moore on Obedience says:
"You may never feel like giving your circumstance, hurt or loss over to God, but you can choose to submit to Him out of belief and obedience rather than emotion. Obedience is always the mark of authentic surrender to God's authority." ( from Breaking Free)

• Make today an authentic, walking in Jesus, obeying his still small voice and nudge, day!
• Make today count. Do what "you" can do today, and listen to the Lord say...she has done a beautiful thing.
• Go out and make a difference wherever He leads you!

Christmas Prayer:
Lord, Less of Me and More of Thee. Amen!

Chelsea Hedge's Memorial Service

A service to remember and celebrate the life of Chelsea Hedge will be held at Cornerstone Fellowship on Monday December 22nd at 2 pm, in the chapel. Please continue to pray for the family...mother and father, Debbie and Leonard, and sisters Taylor and Nicole.
Chelsea you are loved and missed by those who knew you.

The Count Down Continues

We can be stressed if we want to.
We can worry if we wish.
But, the greatest gift ever given us was the gift of peace
given by the Prince of Peace.

Jesus said,
"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."

The gift is Jesus
His offer is Peace
His Peace is different than what we know
What we know is usually how we live
There is a better way
This better way is what Christmas is all about.

Do not LET your heart be troubled!
Why?
Because Jesus said we didn't have to.
Why would he say this? Because he knew who He was.
Who is He? Immanuel, the God who is with us.

The fourth step of getting out of the Christmas Funk is... to stop fanning the flames of worry, distrust or fear. To stay in the funk you Keep these embers and dramas fanned to flame. Try something different, pour cold water, fresh living water on the flames. Douse them with Hope and new focus.

Christmas Prayer
Lord, today I focus on not LETTING my heart gravitate towards worry or fear. I look to you and your presence in my life. I choose to let joy permeate the day as I realize, once again, that my day and my life is in your hands. I will celebrate today. I will celebrate life in you!

7 days and counting....

Dealing with the Christmas Funk.

First step out of a Funk...Focus...look for the sparkle or light in every situation.
Second step out of a Funk...Position...live above circumstances rather than under them.
Third Step out of a Funk is to STOP Being Negative.

Life happens. Life is hard. Sometimes life hurts.
It's easier to be negative than positive.
Often we gravitate to the negative place.
But, Christmas is the birth of Positive Possibility through Christ.
Celebrate Christ today by refusing anything negative.

• No negative comments
• Push away negative thoughts
• No negative projections of problems
• No negative expectations
• Nothing Negative Today.

Hint: When negative thoughts come to your mind think of them as a ember from a fire landing on your sweater. Just flick it away or else you will catch on fire. Catch it quick and stop the burn of the Funk.

Remember: You will be as moody or as merry as you choose to be.

Christmas Prayer
Jesus, I want you to be my reality and Christmas to be the celebration of new life in you. You were born in a manger in a shepherd's field... nothing glamorous about your birth, your life, or your death. Yet, you came, submitted to the will of God...you came to save me. I have much to be thankful for. Today I choose to be positive and choose to flick away all negative thoughts or actions before they start a fire that can not be contained.

8 days til Christmas

Over the next 8 days I am planning on doing one specific, repeated thing...every morning, and every night.

I am going to start each day and end day with something like:

• Thank You Lord, that you are always with me. Immanuel, the God who is with me.
• Thank You Lord, that you are my Wonderful Counselor, giving me the right direction.
• Thank You Lord, that you are a Mighty God, powerful to do all things.
• Thank You Lord, that you are my Everlasting Father, nothing can take me from your hand.
• Thank You Lord, that you are the Prince of Peace, as I focus on You my mind is kept in peace.

The first step out of any funk is Focus.
Where is your focus today?
The above exercise of Thanks and Praise will realign your focus to things that are good.

The second step out of any funk is change of position.
This position change is an attitudinal change, choosing to live as an overcomer rather than UNDER the circumstances of life. We can always climb UNDER and sulk, stress and such. Try something different. You are not some random person who must fend for yourself. Mighty God came to be your everything. Jesus, born in a manger, was sent to lead you into all truth. Receive the truth of: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me! ( Phil 4:13)

Think of both today. Join me in thanking God for the Good of Who He is.

Your day will be as merry or moody as you choose it to be.
What will you choose?

Christmas Prayer
Lord, help me to choose merry, joy, and peace rather than moody, needy and helpless. I receive your strength for the day.

Please join me in prayer....

Today the post is brief.
I am asking you to pray for two families.
The Hedge family who just lost their 21 yr old daughter/sister....Chelsea.
The Caprista family who just lost their mother/wife...Kerry.

It is never easy to experience the loss of someone you love. It is especially hard this time of year.
Please pray for these families and ask God to be their comfort. Both services are in the next week and the families will be preparing to say their last good-byes. My heart is so heavy for them both, that I will leave today's post at that.

Be filled with the peace that only God can give...as you go about your day.
Life is short. Live it!

10 days to Christmas

The Christmas Funk
It can happen at any time of the year, but getting into a mental or emotional FUNK is common, especially for women, at Christmas time. A funk is defined as: a state of the blues or a place of depression.

The type of depression that is described as a FUNK, is not clinical depression, but a situational blues that can last a day or two...or a week or two. Some of us find ourselves in a FUNK out of nowhere, and often we don't even understand why. But, when you consider all the things women are responsible for, especially this time of year, a funk seems inevitable at times. But, in order to live well, we must also learn how to get out of the pits that we find ourselves in that are unproductive.

What are some things that cause a funk?

• Unrealistic expectations
• Unmet expectations
• Feeling alone or living in unresolved circumstances
• Feelings of fear, abandonment or loss of any kind
  
• Feelings of insecurity
• Feelings of being unloved or uncared for
• Financial loss or financial stress
• Future fear or uncertainty
• Feeling invisible, alone or insignificant
  

At Christmas time it is easy to fall into any one of these categories.
I know more than I care to admit about the "Funk", because I have lived there more than once.
Here is my acronym:
F...Feelings Prevail, Focus skewed
U...Under the weather, the circumstances
N...Negative about things
K... Keeping the negative funk alive by fanning the flames of the feelings

Stepping Out of the Funk
F...Focus must change

U...Under the care of Christ, is how we must live, rather than living under the circumstances

N...Negative thoughts must be challenged, and replaced with positive truth

K...Keep my heart, Guarding it well, making sure it is not divided, for out of it comes all of life.

Christmas is not just a "one day" event, but we often race towards it as if it were. Christmas brings with it feelings of remorse, loss, and often expectations of "the perfect little life" that not many people really have. All of these added together could steal our focus, our hope and our joy. Think today about the four parts of stepping out the the funk, and stay tuned as we look at each one separately this week.

Have yourself a merry little Monday...It's the only Monday December 15th 2008 that you will ever have. Live it well!

Christmas Prayer
Lord, help me to have the courage to step out of the funk when I find myself there.

13 days and counting....

The Gift of Love

Love never fails. Video games will break, pearl necklaces will be lost, golf clubs will rust, but giving the gift of LOVE will endure.

The Apostle Paul speaks of Love in his letter to the Corinthians. Today reflect on what he is saying, especially the statement...eagerly desire the greater gifts.

It's easy during the holidays to think of the things we"want". Especially easy this time of the year to scan the sales ads and decide we want something that we never even knew we wanted!


With the holiday sales and media all around us we might even think that our loved ones or children "just have to have something", and we then become consumed with how to get it, often sacrificing our sleep or our sanity to stand in line for the best deal.

But, we will never find a sales advertisement for God's Love. We can not cut a coupon out and take it in for an early morning Saturday special. His love isn't cheap, but was very costly. He already paid the price, it's been purchased for us. This love is a gift. The catch is, we have to receive it. We must open the gift, and open it daily. The Bible tells us His love and Mercy are new every morning. Fresh supply!

1 Corinthians 12:31-3
But eagerly desire the greater gifts. And now I will show you the most excellent way. If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal...if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all that I possess to the poor, but have not love I gain nothing.

How do we receive this Gift of Love?

Oswald Chambers says:
" Love is the overflowing result of one person in true fellowship with another."

We receive this gift of love by our connection, fellowship, identification with....Jesus Christ, who is God himself, and the bible tells us that "God is Love". 1 John 4

Today reflect on these things:

• What do you give the greatest emphasis to in your personal life at this time of year?
• Do things replace love?
• Does works of service replace love?
• Does the busy schedule of the holiday season replace your connection with Christ?
• Are you in true fellowship with God? If so, love will be the overflowing result.

Christmas Prayer
Lord, I come to you with my holiday days. There seems so much to do, so many to see, and so many functions to attend. All are fun, and none of them are necessarily bad. But, it is a slippery slope when I put you on the back burner for a month! It is ridiculous that I take a vacation from you to try and "love others" through what I can give or what I can do for them. Teach me balance in my December Days.

14 days until Christmas

Christmas Love
paraphrase of 1 Corinthians 13

"If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows, strands of twinkling lights and shiny balls, but do not show love to my family, I'm just another decorator.

If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies, preparing gourmet meals and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime, but do not show love to my family, I'm just another cook.

If I work at the soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home and give all that I have to charity, but do not show love to my family, it profits me nothing.

If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels, attend holiday parties and sing in the church's worship team but do not focus on Christ, I have missed the point.

Love stops the cooking to hug the child.
Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the spouse.
Love is kind, though harried and tired.

Love doesn't envy another's home that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens. Love doesn't yell at the kids to get out of the way.

Love doesn't give only to those who are able to give in return but rejoiced in giving to those who can't.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails. Video games will break, pearl necklaces will be lost, golf clubs will rust, but giving the gift of LOVE will endure."
Author Unknown

Christmas Prayer
Lord I want to be an instrument of your love, a vessel of your peace, a beacon of your encouragement and hope....and I want to begin with those closest to me.

15 days to Christmas

The Countdown Begins.....

Don't panic. Don't scream.
Don't call in sick to work to get your "things" done.
Christmas is more than an event, more than a day.
In fact, Christmas is a lifestyle...Not the trees, lights, and gifts. Not parties, cookies and eggnog. But, the entrance of Christ in our midst, the entrance of Christ in our hearts, the reality of heaven's gift in our daily dealings...this is Christmas.

Christmas, the birth of Christ, was to be the beginning of a life change for people.
He came to set people free from themselves.
So really we are celebrating Christ More....More of Christ, Less of Me!

As we head towards the count down to the day we Celebrate the birth of Christ, keep that in mind.

• I am to love Christ more
• I am to know Christ more
• I am to trust Christ more
• I am to live in Christ more

Because...that is why He came.
So that, those who live for themselves would no longer live for themselves but entirely for him. He came to save us from our sinful natural selves, bringing us into the light of salvation and love.

Think about it today. What would represent Christ more in your life just for today?

Christmas Prayer,
Lord I want to know you and love you more than I ever have. Thank you for being the God who is with me more than I can imagine.

Day 10 Untangling Christmas

The Spirit of the Lord is reason to Celebrate!

"The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness
for the prisoners...
To comfort those who mourn,
and provide for those who grieve,
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness
instead of mourning,
and the garment of praise,
instead of the spirit of despair. Isaiah 61:1-3

The prophet Isaiah foretold these things
about the coming Messiah. During the ministry
of Jesus recorded in Luke 4, it says that Jesus
was given the scroll of the prophet Isaiah when he
was in the synagogue on the Sabbath, and opening it
he read the words above, rolled up the scroll
and said,

"Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." Luke 4:21

These are things that Jesus came to do:

• Bind up our broken hearts
• Release us from dark places
• Deliver us from personal prisons
• Comfort us in our grief and mourning
• Give us beauty for ashes
• Place on us a crown of beauty
• Fit us in an outfit of praise

"You will be with child and give birth to a son,
and you are to give him the name Jesus.
He will be great and will be called the Son
of the Most High. The Lord God will give him
the throne of his father David, and
he will reign over the house of Jacob forever,
his kingdom will never end." Luke 1: 29-33

Are you ready to Celebrate your freedom yet?

Be filled with the Spirit of Christmas,
Which is the Spirit of Christ...today!

Christmas Prayer
Lord,
Thank you. I need you. I am amazed to see what you came to do for people. The prophet Isaiah, so long ago, spoke words still relevant to today's need. Your help for us is timeless. Your hope in our time of need is priceless. You, Jesus, are the gift. Help me believe and help me celebrate this joy more than I stress over the things to do, the gifts to buy, or the fluff of the holiday.

Day 9 of Untangling Christmas

Today let's look at the next name in Isaiah.
"For a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end." Isaiah 9:6

Prince of Peace

These are the names that the son will be called. Names given by God that describe to us who Christ was coming to be. If we ever needed peace it would probably be now! To have hope during the economic crisis, during your own personal areas of crisis, and during a time that can ignite fear, requires that we focus on who Christ is. This focus will help us get a "grip" on our emotions and cause us to have more faith. We get a picture of who God is and who He sent Jesus to be through what we find in God's word.

Prince is from the Hebrew sar, which means a head person, chief, captain, or keeper.
Peace is from the Hebrew shalom, which means welfare, health, prosperity and peace.

Add these together and we can call him: The keeper of our welfare!
Prince of Peace means keeper of my well-being, and keeper of my welfare. That is good news in a world where all does not look well according to today's news.

Today reflect on the Prince of Peace.
Add to that the other names:

• Wonderful Counselor
• Mighty God
• Everlasting Father
• Prince of Peace
• Immanual, The God who is With us

Thank Him once again for WHO he is.
With each praise of who Christ is, allow the secular cords of the season to become untangled a little more.

Be filled with His Peace!

Christmas Prayer
Lord, you are my peace, Thank You. Remind me to remember you today. Show me how to celebrate you today. May I be in the Presence of Christmas as I am in your presence as I go about my day.

Day 8 of Untangling Christmas

Today I am keeping it simple. I would like to just post a quote that my friend Sheryl Giesbrecht put on facebook. I think it is beautiful.

"Give Christmas Presence...gifts of your time, talents and treasure...these are gifts of worship."

Think about that today.

• Christmas Presence.
• Christ's Presence.
• Being Personally Present.
• Making your life Present.

Enjoy your day, live in the present gift of this moment!

Christmas Prayer
Dear Lord, help me to see the moments of my day as opportunities of worship.

Day 7 of Untangling Christmas

Hope Has a Name...Jesus

• He is Immanuel...The God Who is With Us
• He is our Wonderful Counselor
• He is our Mighty God
• He is our Everlasting Father

Today we see that the name of Hope is also...The Prince of Peace.

More than a Hallmark Greeting, these names help us connect with the truth of the nature and character of a God whom we can not see or touch. These names help us identify the lies in our minds and in our lives that tell us that God is other than these things.

What area in your life today is in need of more PEACE?
Have you had a marital spat, a friendship disagreement, a run in with your teen, a frustrating battle with your child? Maybe you are worried about the bills to be paid, the taxes that are due.
How about feeling blue and depressed, many people do this time of year.

Jesus, the center of the Christmas story, wants to be the center of our lives in every way.

He came that we might have life in him and through him...because of Him.

Take that area that is lacking peace and sit down and ask God to take it from you.
Ask him to be a wonderful counselor to you regarding that practical piece today. Then thank him for being a Mighty God, able to heal, deliver, and change even the toughest of situations.

Yes, HOPE has a name, Jesus.
HOPE....Having Optimisim Produces Encouragement
Are we to be optimistic, just to be optimistic?
No, we are to be optimistic because of who God is.

• We can be optimistic, or have faith, in the TRUTH found in Scripture.
• We can be optimistic because the Christmas Story has real-life promise.
• We can be optimistic because we are not left to fend for ourselves.
• We can be optimistic because of the gift of Christmas, bigger than Santa, more fulfilling than any gift you could receive, this gift of Christmas offers inner peace and hope.

When we look for the good, take heart and hope, live in optimistic faith, we are encouraged.
Jesus was sent as a God who would be with us, in us and for us.

Optimistic Response? To live now for Him.

Think on these things, and have courage for your area that needs his presence and peace.

Christmas Prayer
Lord in the hustle and bustle give me peace. In the expectations that are mounting, change my heart. In the things to be done, give me strength. In the moments of these holiday days, make me holy.

Day 6 of Untangling Christmas

His name is Everlasting Father
He never changes. He is timeless.
He is God our Father.
Everlasting comes from the Hebrew rood ad, which means duration, continue, and advance. I can rejoice that He is a Father who will stay with me for the whole duration of the journey, continuing with me throughout my lifetime. He is a Father who gives me the advance, the next step.

One of the definitions I found for everlasting is "around the clock." He is my around-the-clock Father! He never sleeps. He cares for you and me nonstop! Some women have experienced rejection or abandonment. the pain of such an experience is real and is often carried around for years. we must all remember that it is never God who abandons. Through people can inflict real pain into our lives, God desires to set us free, in Christ, as we realize that He will always be with us 24/7.

• He is a Wonderful Counselor
• He is a Mighty God
• He is the Everlasting Father
  

Think about WHO He is today!

Christmas Prayer
Father, the sound of that words is so sweet to me. I used to call my Father, Daddy. But he has been gone for many years. I have felt the pain of being Fatherless, and have often forgotten that though my dad on earth is no longer with me, my heavenly Father never leaves me. Help me to remember that you came, at Christmas, in that manger, to be my Father.

Day 5 of Untangling Christmas

Coming Untangled...One Day at a Time

Last year I decided that I was not going to miss the sparkle in the season. I was going to get out of the crazy spin of Christmas, turn the wheel around and find meaning in the last month of the year. It would be a time of reflecting, gratitude, soul-searching, and blessing others. I made a decision to breathe in the essence of the season and skip the build up of making it just a one day event. And, in doing so, I did experience a wonderful season, a spiritually breath-taking Christmas, and I didn’t miss the sparkle—not in my loved ones, not in my friends, not in the crackling of fires, the singing of carols, or the taking of communion on Christmas Eve. Yes, last year I experienced an untangled Christmas, and it was beautiful.

How do I plan to spend this December? By reminding myself not to get tangled in the self-inflicted expectations that I can so easily get caught up in—and by not allowing others expectations, or the allure of holiday marketing, media, and daily advertisements to rule my December days. Instead I plan on breathing in the beauty of Christmas, the real Christmas—The spirit of Christmas—which is the spirit of Christ in my midst.

I am going to remind myself of the two most important charges of the Christian life—to love God with all of me, and to love others. With these two things in mind, I will go into December less tangled. I will make plans that reflect those two goals. I will purchase gifts based on those two goals. And, I will begin each day with the prayer of living in those two goals. Will you join me?

Five Steps to Untangling Christmas

1. Lose the event/party mentality

Christmas is more than a beautiful Christmas buffet or single event—it is a season that announces hope in a Savior. This hope is available for us 24/7, 365 days a year.

So the first step is seeing Christmas as a celebration of hope, and not an event. In everything from gift giving to decorating, seek to remember the hope that is found in Christ.

2. Let go of holiday perfection

Christmas is not about everything being perfect. Focus on the bigger picture, rather than obsessing over the small details that go wrong. Your worth as a woman is not determined by what you do. You don’t have to have the perfect holiday dinner, table setting, or just the right gifts to make the holiday meaningful. Perfection is a trap—don’t get stuck there this Christmas.

3. Stop trying to make everyone happy

Making others happy through the perfect gift or holiday experience is not your responsibility. Trying to keep up with the Joneses can cause a lot of stress. Your worth as a parent, spouse, relative or friend is not in the value of the gift. Do your best, and then relax. Your responsibility is to love others, not make their holiday magic.

4. Change your attitude by changing your focus

Christmas is the Christian celebration of the birth of Christ—Emmanuel—the God who is with us. The hope that God is present with us each season, each month and each day of the year is cause for gratitude. Christmas is the celebration of the word “possible”—for with God nothing is impossible! Take focus-breaks each day. Reflect on the reason of the season, sit with the Christmas story in the New Testament book of Luke or read from a daily devotional each day of December. Buy a new journal and keep a December praise/ gratitude journal—recording the sparkle of each day.

5. Accept others as they are

Holidays can be stressful because we are often with people that are difficult to be around. You don’t have to approve or like what your family members do, but you do need to give them the gift of love and grace. Make this a month of practicing God’s love, acceptance and forgiveness. Dr. Minirth, a noted Christian psychiatrist, warns that this is also not the time to try and fix your family. There are other times in the year to address problems.

May I suggest that you love others as an act of your faith in God, and as obedience to Him. The greatest gift we have received is the unconditional love of God for us. The greatest gift you can give is to extend this love towards others.

This Christmas let’s get untangled from the trappings of the season. Let’s step off the spinning wheel of expectation and move to a place of practicing the presence of Christ in our midst. Let’s look for the presence of Christ in others. Rather than the hustle and bustle of Christmas pressure past, let’s redefine the holidays as a month long celebration of thankfulness, hope and love!

Be Merry! Choose Joy! Be Filled!

Christmas Prayer
Lord I thank you for Isaiah 9:6. Thank you for sending a son to be my Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace. I want to sit with those truths about Jesus many times today.

Day 4 of Untangling Christmas

As we move towards Christmas Celebrations, let's remind ourselves what we are celebrating! Today let's look at yet another name for the Messiah from Isaiah 9:6....

His name is Mighty God
Mighty comes from the Hebrew word gibbor, which means powerful, warrior, champion, chief, giant, and strong. I can now say, " He is my powerful God, a warrior, and a champion. He is my giant God and my strong God."

The thesaurus describes mighty as sound and sure. I like that.
A quick glance at today's newspaper is a reminder that not much seems sure or steady these days. The stock market continues to drop, houses continue to forclose, and companies continue to close down. Can't it all just be put on hold so everyone can have their picture-perfect holiday?

In the real world, there are hard times that we must learn to deal with.
If we believe that Jesus is a Mighty Warrior always working on our behalf, then dealing with problems becomes a whole lot easier. ...because we learn to deal with a faith focus.

His power working on our behalf is a present reality no matter what the news reports today. The Bible's report remains the same as it has always been....

• He is a Wonderful Counselor
• He is a Mighty God

The next time you are tempted to buckle under the temptation to fear or doubt, remember God is absolutely jumbo, huge, vast and mighty!

• Think about how big He is today!
• What area of your life do you need to see His Mighty Power working?
• What prayers are the nearest and dearest to your heart today?
  
• Reflect on the gift of Jesus and His promise to be our Mighty God.
• Thank Him several times today for who he is as your Mighty God.

Christmas Prayer
Mighty God, I thank you that your purpose will stand in my life. I desire to know you for who you really are, not what my little mind might limit you to. Help me in all areas where my belief is small. Give me jumbo trust in my jumbo God. Oh, Jesus...it is Merry Christmas. It is a time to celebrate. Joy to the World, for Our Mighty God has come to be our sound and sure help in all our times of need.

Day 3 of Untangling Christmas

Have you put up your Christmas Decorations yet? While I put up my little Dept. 56 Village I almost "lost it" in the maze of cords and plugs in an effort to put together the little lit village. At one point I just wanted to throw my hands in the air and say " forget it!" And, at about that same time I wondered what I ever saw in this Snow Village collection in the first place.

But, after it was all up, the cords figured out, and the lights burning in each miniature window, I knew what it was I saw in the holiday houses....once put together, arranged and lit, they make a beautiful backdrop for Christmas at the Alsdorf's.

Untangling Christmas....
Jesus came with a specific purpose. In Isaiah we see what some of the specifics are.

Isaiah 9:6 from yesterday's blog tells us that the Messiah would come to be our:
Wonderful Counselor, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, and Mighty God.

These aren't just nice Hallmark Greeting Card Names. These names help us understand who Jesus came to be in our life. Let's unwrap the cords of the meaning, and plug in the light of his word, so that our hearts can be lit up like the twinkling lights on our trees, or the little windows in my Snow village.

Wonderful Counselor
Today let's look at the first name given Jesus, the baby to be born in th manger.
In Isaiah his name is, Wonderful Counselor ( Isa 9:6)

Counselor comes from the Hebrew word yaats, which means to advise, resolve, guide, purpose. With those definitions I can say, " He is my wonderful Advisor, my wonderful Resolver, my wonderful Guide, and my wonderful Purpose!"

In the Webster's dictionary, wonderful is defined as: astonishing, excellent or marvelous.

Let's break this down for real life meaning:
In the middle of our December days comes this perfect gift who came to be our counselor.
This counselor gives us the right advice, helps us resolve our life situations, guides us and gives us a purpose for living. And, that's not all, He does it in a wonderful way. His way of working in our human hearts and minds is astonishing, excellent and marvelous.

In a world where most of us can use some advice, counsel or mental/emotional untangling, this is Good News. This can give rise in our hearts to celebration. Yes, Jesus, the Wonderful Counselor is our Christmas Gift.

Be filled with the meaning of the truth!

Today:

• Think about what needs untangling in your life
• Sit for a moment or two and thank Jesus that He is your Counselor.
• Ask Him to guide you in the area that seems like a heap of tangled lights.
• Thank Him several times today for WHO He is as your Wonderful Counselor.

Christmas Prayer
Father, Sometimes I don't know which end is up. I am uncertain where to make the right connections, how to untangle my brain from the stress, pain or disappointment of real life. Then Christmas comes. I am supposed to be merry, not moody. But, often I am more moody than merry. Help me. Untangle me. Be my peace, my advisor and my true counselor. You are Wonderful!

Day 2 of Untangling Christmas

The perfect gift?
We all want the perfect gift and so we look through catalogs, magazines and sales ads. We wander through shops, malls and boutiques. Somehow thinking that if we receive the perfect gift, everything will be good, life will be good.

Jesus is the perfect gift.
We have been given a gift that often goes unnoticed in our busy daily routines. The gift has a name... Immanuel. This name, Immanuel means the God who is with us. This name gives us explanation of the perfect gift. Do you know anyone else, in this fickle world, who will ALWAYS stand by you?
The very thing that will make everything good...beyond circumstance is the security and peace found in Immanuel, the God who is with us.

Years ago it was foretold that the Messiah would come. The book of Isaiah describes this perfect gift.

Isaiah 9:6
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor,
Mighty God,
Everlasting Father,
Prince of Peace.

We have all seen these names on Christmas Greeting cards, but today let them sink into your heart, as you personalize what they might mean for you as a believer in Jesus Christ. Your Lord is the son that these are describing, and the meaning behind these names bring peace and comfort into our frenzied world.

So...our perfect gift is:

• The God Who is With Us...Immanuel
• Wonderful Counselor
• Mighty God
• Everlasting Father
• Prince of Peace

Think about it!

• Thank God many times today for sending Jesus to be those things in your life.
• The reality is, if we focus this month on what is REAL and true about the season, not only will we untangle our hearts from the net of this world, but we will have LOTS of reason to celebrate with purpose.
  

Christmas Prayer
Lord, Today I reflect on what I have in you, rather then what I don't have in this world. I acknowledge that who you are can not be bought on sale or in a store. The gift of Christ in my midst is priceless. Help me to reflect on YOU and be content today.

Immanuel, the God who is with us

Hope.
It is flimsy these days.
Fear
It is rampant.

The Holidays?
Maybe if we focused on what the meaning of Christmas really is, we would have a different perspective this year. We would still celebrate, but we would celebrate with hope and meaning.
This month this blog will be focusing on the Christmas story and this Messiah that came as a baby in a manger to save us from our sin and our selves. A little scripture each day, to keep the hope of the holiday alive in our hearts.

Be filled!

Matthew 1:18-22
This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: HIs mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel which means, God with us"

• Reflect on the truth that Immanuel is the God who is With You!
• Thank Him many times today that He is With You!
• Hold on the the Truth of Christmas, Jesus, Immanuel is with you and will never leave you.

Hebrews 13:5
God has said,
"Never will I leave you;
Never will I forsake you."
So we say with confidence,
"The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid, what can man do to me?
Christmas Prayer
Father, I thank you for sending Jesus, Immanuel, the God who is with us. Help me to connect with the truth of the true meaning of Christmas this year, and be content because I have a helper who is the Lord of all.