Live Freely!

My tree is empty of presents but it still looks pretty. I don't think I'll take it down until next weekend. I guess I'll put the other decorations up then, too. I had such a great time watching my husband and children open their gifts. Especially my husband. I had found a website that sold a magnifying device that  you hook up to your tv and whatever you put the magnifying device on shows up large on the tv screen. Since he is legally blind, this was great for him. Now he can read the newspaper again.

I was surprised at some of my gifts--one of my most favorite was a set of gel-ink pens in vibrant colors. I love pens and notebooks. I can't pass up a school or office supply aisle in Walgreens or any store if my life depended on it. I was a born nerd, I guess. Loved school. Loved books and notebooks and spirals. Loved homework. But I digress. I had an arthritis flare-up and wasn't able to go to my sister's as planned on Christmas day, but I was able to visit my sister-in-law who lives about 40 miles away today. My daughter-in-law went with me and we had a great time--just the two of us--on the drive up there. She is such a sweet person.  She and my son left this afternoon to get ready for her parents' visit. They're flying in tomorrow and then will drive to come see us on Wednesday. We haven't seen them since the wedding a year ago. Can't wait to see them again. They are fun people. And a lot like my husband and me. Which is why my daughter-in-law fits right in, I guess.

 Hope you all had a lovely Christmas. Feel free to share your most favorite gift this year. I'd love to read about it. :)

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One of my most favorite songs  sung to scenes from The Nativity Story. Gave me chillbumps. Jesus is the greatest gift God ever gave us!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPbV_HTpyx0&feature=player_embedded#

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Looking forward to a wonderful Christmas Eve with my husband, sons , and daughter-in-law . We'll all go to my sister's on Christmas day to eat. My oldest son has to work so he'll miss that part, but at least we'll see him a few hours Christmas Eve.

 I have wonderful memories of Christmas as a child. We always drove 4 hours to be with my daddy's side of the family. My aunts and uncles and cousins would all meet up at my grandmother's. She had a screened-in porch with a porch swing, and I thought that was the neatest thing because we could sit outside at night. My sister and girl cousins would climb into the swing with me and we'd sing Silent Night , The First Noel, and Jingle Bells while the grown-ups stayed inside and talked and laughed. Great times!

 Merry Christmas, everybody!

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Psalm 18:46-47

"The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God my Saviour! He is the God who avenges me."

To be found significant in the eyes of the Lord brings much joy! How can I repay Him for times such as these? When He swoops in and allows me to sense His Presence,  His love, His rescue from my deadness of heart and darkness of mind. I can only thank Him and praise Him, exalt Him in my heart and in my life.

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I finally bought A Charlie Brown Christmas on dvd and watched it. I just love this little 30 minute tv movie. It came out when I was about eleven or twelve, and I watched it almost every year thereafter as a child and teenager. Watching it peeled away the years and I felt young again. Early Disney movies, like Pollyanna and Cinderella do that to me as well. Guess that's why I like them so much. Anyway, they hada section on the making of   A Charlie Brown Christmas and I watched it with interest. Charles Schultz came up with the story in just one day. Amazing! Even more amazing was the fact that they used only 2 child actors and the other voices were from neighborhood children. The network didn't like it but had to air it anyway because there was no backup. So on  December 9, 1964 it aired on NBC. It was the most watched program that night and it  won an Emmy! I had no idea. I just knew I loved it.  

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"You, O LORD, keep my lamp burning, my God turns my darkness into light." Ps. 18:28

No matter how dark things may get, when I think of God and turn to Him, my darkness becomes brighter. He has taught me that no circumstance is so grim that it darkens my hope in my God, in His love, and in the deep-seated joy He has placed in my heart of my salvation through His Son, Jesus. This joy turns mourning into dancing and sorrow into praise. "No in all these things we are more than overcomers through Him who loved us." Ro. 8:37

In this coming Christmas season, I pray that the joy of the birth of Jesus will lighten every heart who knows Him.  The  joy of our salvation puts the "Merry" in Christmas, no matter what our circumstances may be.

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"Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully. Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour. Withstand him; be firm in faith [against his onset--rooted, established, strong, immovable, and determined], knowing that the same (identical) sufferings are appointed to your brotherhood (the whole body of Christians) throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace [Who imparts all blessing and favor], Who has called you to His [own] eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will Himself complete and make you what you ought to be, establish and ground you securely, and strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the dominion (power, authority, rule) forever and ever. Amen (so be it)." 1 Peter 5:7-11 (Amplified)

The word for "cast" in verse 7 is the same word used in Luke 19:35:"And they brought him to Jesus; and they cast their garments upon the colt, and they sat Jesus thereon." It's the same word used in Psalm 55:22 "Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and He shall sustain thee: He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved." The word means " to cast away, throw down, throw out; is used of throwing an object." (The Key Word Study Bible)

Since learning about this word, I've been picturing myself holding a huge fishing net with all my worries and anxieties attached to it and then throwing it out to Jesus. I don't have to watch and see if He catches it. I just fling it out there. I know that I can trust Him to take care of it all.

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Praising God this evening for helping me get through a rough three days. I discovered someone had been using my drivers license number to write hot checks from a bank I've never heard of and in cities I've never been in. After talking to people from the debt collectors and then the company that gave the checks to the debt collectors, I had to file a police report and put alerts on my credit reports. Picked up the police officer's report and faxed it with an affadavit and hopefully this will clear things up. I've kept Isaiah 54:17 paperclipped to my paperwork while talking on the phone. My anxiety was washed down every time I read it:

Isaiah 54:17 "'No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD and this is their vindication from me,' declares the LORD."'

I love that! And in my quiet time yesterday God led me to these verses that meant everything to me:

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"...those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ." Romans 5:17 (NASB)

"Salvation alone does not conclude God's purpose in life for us. His desire is to return us to restored rulership. This means a recovery of self-control, of personal identity, of stabilized temperament and character." Jack Hayford, Rebuilding the Real You

All of the characteristics Jack Hayford mentions can be achieved if we are in Christ Jesus. By being "in" Christ Jesus, I mean bringing your heart and your mind into alignment with Him--with His perfect will, perfect love  and purpose for your life. When I was having panic attacks, I was not aligned with Jesus. For years I lived by my own will, plans, thoughts, and wisdom. I rarely prayed except at night before going to bed. Then, I would dash off the Lord's Prayer to assuage the guilt of not really being close to God. I constantly worried about my life and my loved ones. I lived in dread of making a mistake or failing to live up to everyone's perception of me. I got through each day by the skin of my teeth. It was the only way I knew how to live.

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This song has meant so much to me the past two months. I first heard it when I went to Beth Moore's Simulcast at a local church. I was seeking the Lord with all my heart and desperate for His rejuvenation. This song gave me chill bumps. After the Simulcast they had a "store" set up and out of several cds, I chose Travis' Jesus Saves Live because I had heard him sing Jesus Saves before. After I came home and played the cd, I realized that every song we had sung during the Simulcast was on this cd! God is so good! Here is the one that speaks so strongly to me. I wish you could hear the music.

In Christ Alone , Written by Stuart Townend and Keith Getty, Sung by Travis Cottrell on cd, JESUS SAVES LIVE

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