Don't Get Your Tinsel in a Tangle

The magic of Christmas comes to all of us in different ways: in the putting up of the tree, drinking hot cocoa with little marshmallows, singing carols, seeing the lights, visiting Santa, baking goodies for our loved ones and neighbors, and giving to those in need. And, of course, and most importantly, celebrating the birth of our Savior. I used to love, when my children were small, how the most exciting thing to them was to hear about baby Jesus and knowing it was HIS birthday.

Looking at this season through the eyes of a child is probably the smartest thing we can do to put ourselves in the right frame of mind for Christmas. As adults we all know the meaning of Christmas, and know that that is where we should be focusing, but no one else is going to get the tree up, do the baking, finish the Christmas shopping, make sure family pictures are taken, get Christmas cards out, buy presents for the teachers, PLUS manage the day to day household tasks, and worry about how we are going to pay for all this ho ho ho without buying anything on  credit! SO how do we make sure that, as we create the Christmas magic for those around us, we actually get to feel it too, and how can we keep our tinsel from getting in a tangle.

When it’s the week before Christmas and it’s impossible to find a parking spot at the mall, the grocery store is packed with all the crazies preparing for a house full of company, it’s pretty easy to get your tinsel all tangled.  We want everything to be just right.  We are so busy being “Martha” that we can’t seem to find time to be Mary; we can’t seem to find the time to get our tinsel untangled. 

May I encourage you this blessed season to take a moment and remember the real reason for the season.  So what if your peanut butter blossoms lost the kisses, your Christmas tree is a little crooked and the cookies have too many sprinkles from a little helper.  And so what if you don't get your Christmas cards out until New Years – just so you have time to truly enjoy the magic of this Christmas season and truly celebrate our Savior's birth!  So, please try not to get your tinsel in a tangle and remember if you do, just tie a knot in it and hang on.

Please let me share with you scripture from Matthew 6:25-34 taken from The Message. . .paraphrased (by me):

^25-26 “If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don’t get your tinsel in a tangle [fuss] about what’s on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the birds, free and untangled [unfettered], not tangled in [tied down] to a job description, untangled [careless] in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds.

^27-29 “Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? All this time and money wasted on fashion—getting your tinsel in a tangle - do you think it makes that much difference? Instead of looking at the fashions, and worrying about your tinsel, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or shop, but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them.

^30-33 “If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, don’t get your tinsel in a tangle, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works, get their tinsel in a tangle and fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t get your tinsel in a tangle! Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.

³⁴ “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get your tinsel in a tangle about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes. “

Have a very blessed and merry Christmas.  May you have a happy, healthy, peaceful and prosperous new year and whatever you do, remember: DON’T GET YOUR TINSEL IN A TANGLE!!!

It's Not About You. . .

"It’s not about you!"  I remember the first time I read those words in Rick Warren’s book, The Purpose Driven Life.  For some reason in this first week of Advent, I thought of those words.  

Throughout history, Israel anticipated the coming of their Messiah. The Old Testament contains more than 400 scriptures and prophecies outlining the birth of this Messiah, His life, His death, His resurrection, and His return. It was always God’s plan to redeem His people, since the beginning when Adam and Eve chose a life sin over a life of abundance. God declared His plan to His prophets over many centuries and continues to fulfill His Word even now.  So, you see, it's about "Him".

"Prepare the way of the Lord" serves as a main theme of Advent.  As we are hustling about, buying, making, baking, partying, and anticipating Christmas, most importantly, we should not neglect to prepare our hearts for Jesus, who came as "the light of the world." His light penetrated a darkened world. His light provided the opportunity for all to see their Messiah, to accept their Messiah as the hope of their future. 

Since the 7th century A.D., Christians have included the celebration of Advent in their Christmas preparations.  "Advent" originates from the Latin word advenio which means coming to. Advent is the time when we, as believers, focus on Christ coming to the world.  With a twofold purpose, Advent begins four Sundays before Christmas.  First, it prepares us for the celebration of the birth of Christ and second, it reminds us that we wait eagerly for the return of our Messiah, Jesus, in glory. 

Today, more than ever before, we need to have our hearts prepared in such a way as we await the return of Christ, that we can breathe the words and mean them, “come quickly Lord Jesus!” As you are preparing your Christmas, take time to read and to learn more about what God’s Word reveals about Christ's return and the significance of world events as they unfold before us.

Be ready. Be watchful. Be prepared. The Light of the world has come and will surely come again.  Father God, let the light of Christ shine through our lives so that we may glorify you in all that we do and help us to walk in the light of the Lord and in the truth of your Word. Amen.

"The birth of Christ is the central event in the history of the earth -- the very thing the whole story has been about." -- C.S. Lewis

The Autumns of My Life. . .

The Autumns of My Life

Fall has been exceedingly spectacular in Northeast Ohio this year.  The vibrant colorful leaves have clung to the trees as if to give us a little extended blessing of the handiwork of God’s masterful artwork.  I have enjoyed the gentle breezes as I’ve stood outside gazing at the sunshine filtering through the hue strewn trees watching as those few colorful leaves, who have finally let go of their limbs, sachet slowly to the earth joining the colorful, rustling carpet of leaves awaiting them.  I’ve inhaled the fragrances of Autumn – cherry wood burning in fireplaces wafting their fragrant smoke curls into the atmosphere, freshly pressed apple cider, hot apple dumplings with cinnamon ice cream and dribbles of half and half cream, hot cocoa with little marshmallows that leave a moustache on your upper lip.  I could go on and if you haven’t guessed by now, autumn is my favorite season; maybe because I was born in the fall - October - and felt its crispness in the first weeks of my life.

In October, I began the second year of a new decade in my life.  There have been many autumns through which I have passed.  There have been some autumns that have been bland and not as colorful as this one.  Some autumn seasons have been so wet and rainy and cold that their beauty never had a chance. The leaves fell as they simply turned brown never having a chance to bless us with their vibrant colors. And, there have been gorgeous falls like this one.  Life, itself, reminds me of autumn sometimes.

There are times when we are so colorful and feel so alive. There are times when everything feels flat-lined, and then there are times when we are wet and cold and feel lifeless.  Though beautiful as this one has been, it has been one of fierce unrest for our country in the wake of one of the most important elections of my lifetime. While I may not agree with the outcome, my life first belongs to my Savior, Jesus Christ.  I have placed my trust in Him many, many years ago, and I do realize that even when I don’t understand my “Father Knows Best”.  It doesn’t matter who lives at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, DC, for I know that I’m just passing through and this is not my final home. 

The autumns of my life have often brought change. . .some that I thought were good and others, I seriously questioned.  Each change caused me to pause and pray, “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.”  A simple prayer but far from easy!  Many times the autumns of my life brought great joy – the birth of a granddaughter, a move to a new home, a trip through the beautiful northeast into Maine, gazing at the magnificent colors surrounding one of the wonders of the world, Niagara Falls, but then standing graveside saying goodbye to loved ones whose memory still brings a smile to my face and tears to my eyes.

This autumn has brought us both great joy and deep sorrow.  While we were rejoicing and celebrating my dear uncle’s 90 years with which God has blessed him, we sorrowed deeply at the loss of our dear cousin who fought a good fight until the last moments of his life. Our hearts ached, too, with grief at the loss of a precious friend of more than 30-years and the only solace in both of those losses is the fact that we are assured of a heavenly reunion as they both fell asleep on earth to awaken in the arms and looking upon the face of their Savior. 

This fall we’ve also made the change to being empty nesters for the very first time and only for a few months.  Duty calls so my sailor son-in-law is being deployed to the Middle East for a period of six months to??? (Depending on the situation there that seems to be escalating daily especially with the uprising against Israel by Hamas).  In the meantime, my daughter and granddaughters are moving home so the empty nest will be partially filled once again as the little princesses settle in.

So, as I prepare this week for the culmination of this another autumn, 2012 – Thanksgiving – I cannot help but turn my thoughts to the many things and people for which I am thankful. . . .I am thankful first, and foremost, for God, through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, in providing redemption through His precious blood for my sins that I might know Him in an intimate, personal way and have the promise of eternal life when I pass from this one.  I do “give thanks to the Lord for He IS good; His love endures forever.” (Psalm 136:1)

For the rest, I could write volumes of “things” for which I am thankful and God knows the depth of my heart when it comes to being thankful for my loved ones, my family, and the blessing of wonderful, loving friends.  Thank you Lord for always listening to my prayers, even when I ramble, and don’t seem to make sense even to myself or just when I sigh.  Thank you for always caring (II Peter 5:7) and showing me that you care even in small ways.  Thank you Lord for helping me run my race that you have set before me and for giving me sustaining grace.  For always knowing what’s best for me and letting me know, especially when I don’t want to hear it or accept it, thank you. For all of your mercies, dear Lord, where, oh where, do I begin?  For my dear, precious husband who puts up with me when I don’t act very thankful, for my children, my grandchildren, all of my many family members far away, for the blessing of loyal, loving, lifetime, longtime friends, for your daily, sweet abiding presence that never leaves me alone.  I give you, Lord Jesus Christ, 100% of my thanksgiving, the autumn of my life.

The Day My Earth Stood Still

The Day My Earth Stood Still. . .

Where do our memories go when we can’t remember?
Do they go down the endless pit of a memory drain,
or have they been misplaced, sidelined, or lost,
or are they somewhere waiting to be found again?

Or do they go into the brains memory shredder
where the less used memories become deleted.
Could eventually all our memories go in there
leaving our memory completely depleted?

~ Orlando Belo ~

At the hospital, I was taken immediately into ER where the team began a rapid assessment.  I appeared to be in no acute distress and did not “look” sick. I was poked, prodded, scanned, giggled, wiggled, drained of (what seemed like) half my blood, asked a million questions to which I had very few answers, but I repeatedly asked the same questions unknowingly.  My white cell count was 22,000 yet no infection could immediately be pinpointed nor was one ever determined.

My husband and two oldest children began texting and calling close friends, family, and prayer chains.  Stroke? Aneurism? Tumor?  Scary words!! Yet every test was negative!

Somewhere, during what began as an ordinary Saturday, August 18, 2012, a breakfast of homemade fresh blueberry Belgium waffles and maple sausage, housecleaning, sweeping, and scrubbing (since the week goes by too swiftly, there just aren’t enough hours for housework after school) a deep mystic fog settled into my brain, howbeit, I do not remember.

No one knows how it started, why it started, or how it began.  The facts of the day have been shared with me and the steps that Larry and I took throughout that day have been reiterated to me only leaving me with more questions.

Was it that we visited garden centers in the greater Cleveland area in search of a flowering pink dogwood tree to enhance our landscaping?  That day was particularly hot and late in the afternoon, thinking of immediate cooling gratification, we drove through a McDonalds to get frappe’s – chocolate for Larry, caramel for me! The frappe made me nauseas.  Did that cause it?  I ripped my pants getting back into the car. . .did that cause it?

I complained of being sick and drove myself home from the restaurant where we had met Wesley for dinner. . .I don’t remember.

Why, you ask, am I telling you all of this and recapping a seemingly ordinary day?  Well, you see, I am simply repeating what was told to me about that day. . .because I DO NOT REMEMBER ANY OF IT!!!  My earth had stopped spinning that day and somewhere along the line, I jumped off!

My short term memory completely obliterated for what seemed like an eternity but, in reality, was only a matter of hours.  Somewhere in the middle of the night going into Sunday morning and after receiving a broad spectrum antibiotic to quell my super-high white count, the “fog” began to lift.  The earth slowed to a “manageable” spin and I was able to climb back on.  The next couple days were somewhat frightening as doctors tested, poked, scanned, and prodded more to find a clue as to what, when, where, how, and why?

The neurologist, who had ordered all of the STAT tests, finally having ruled out all of the possibly horrible diagnoses, declared that I had suffered “transient global amnesia”. The Mayo Clinic has a good description and discussion about it if you would like to know more. 

It is a very rare condition (that figures) and equally as rare is the fact that so little is known about it.  What bothers me most is that there is a part of my life, even if it was only a matter of hours, that are gone from me forever!  Nothing I can do can ever help me to recapture that time or to remember it.

I firmly believe that God’s hand touched my life that night and helped to restore me to a right mind.  Isaiah 26:3 reminds us that God will keep in perfect peace those whose mind is fixed upon Him and trusts in Him.  During those moments when I did not know where I was, God knew. For many years, I had hid His word in my heart, and my mind, and it was through that Word that I experienced unexplained restoration of my mind. Because I have walked with my hand in the hand of that Man, my Savior, Jesus Christ, when I was “lost” somewhere in my mind, He carried me.  He sustained me.  His love engulfed me.   In I Timothy 1:12, Paul writes, “for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me.” 

I had entrusted myself to Jesus and He kept me. Philippians 2:5 reminds us to “let this mind (the mind of Christ) be in you. . .” How grateful I am that I had given my Savior, Jesus Christ, my mind.  I had entrusted myself wholly and completely to Him.  He didn’t let me down; He carried me.  He restored me. 

To God be ALL the glory.

For more information on "transient global amnesia"  please visit: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/transient-global-amnesia/DS01022