Mangers and the Hard Stuff

It wasn’t wooden.

In fact, it may not even have been covered.

It was certainly crowded.

It most likely wasn’t winter, and most likely was sweltering.

…on the night Jesus was born in Bethlehem.

Mangers in Israel during the first century weren't wooden.  They were stone – like this one…

Manger on the ruins of Mount Megiddo (AKA "Tel Megiddo")
May 2012

Chances are, Jesus was laid in a pile of hay (or feed of some sort).  Depending on where the manger was, it may not have even been covered, or maybe only covered with a small tent sheet.  Given that the shepherds were in their fields, it was probably late summer to early fall that Jesus was born, not the dead of winter. 

There are so many unknowns about the circumstances surrounding the birth of Jesus that could be debated over and over, but let me share with you my point: it wasn't wooden.  Jesus wasn't born into a cozy little warm stable on a cold winter’s night and laid in a soft wooden manger.  He came into a hot, sweaty, crowded town full of people registering for a census.  He was born to two tired parents who had just been rejected by society because of the possible “scandal” surrounding Mary’s pregnancy.  He was laid in a hard, stone manger to be displayed before visitors.  The manger never became “un-hard”, but the purpose of that manger was never greater than when Jesus was laid in it.

God took the Delight of eternity and stuck Him smack-dab in the middle of our crazy world in a hard stone manger.  He did it then, and has not changed His technique for all these years.  He comes smack-dab in the middle of our crazy, hectic lives and lays out His love on all the hard things with which we deal.  

Joseph and Mary dealt with a hard manger, a hard journey, a hard society.  We deal with hard questions, hard realities, and hard decisions every day. 

I deal with hard stuff every day.  But God has chosen to come right in the middle of those hard things and lay His Love out for me. 

...for you.

Jesus wasn't just a gift for Christmas.  He was a gift for every hard moment in our lives.  We choose to let Him stay in our mangers of the hard things.  What manger of your life can you lay Jesus in today?  The hard things won’t change, but they will finally have a purpose when we let God use them to show His love to a watching world.  

A watching world of 

kings… 

nobles… 

shepherds… 

innkeepers… 

presidents… 

children...

politicians… 

auto-body repair shop workers… 

hotel managers…

bosses...

the local deli owner...

parents...

neighbors...

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day Mom!!!  I love you and I am thinking about you even though I can't be with you today!  :)

Ladies and Gentlemen, let me present to you my beautiful, age-defying mother...

She's the bestest!!!  

Does the bush know your name?

There are several reasons why I love my pastor, Pastor Dan Betzer, and one of them is because he is such a good speaker.  Granted, he's had years of practice, but still, he's just really good.  Let's leave it at that.

A comment he made during a sermon recently was "Does the bush know your name?"  Sounds silly, but he was referring to when God spoke to Moses through a burning bush.  (You know the bush that was "burning" but wasn't actually on fire?  God is so creative...)

And so I ask myself, does the bush know my name?  Has the bush been talking to me and I haven't recognized that it is calling my name?

Don't get lost in the imagery here.  All it means is this: what might God be calling you (me) to do?  He spoke to Moses through a burning bush.  He's spoken through a donkey before too.  He will use whatever means necessary to speak to us, but are we listening?

Moses led a nation out of slavery.  It was worth listening to that bush for him.  What about for me?

What about for you?

Cool Burning Bush

~**::::Today is my Birthday::::**~

:)

Image from The Lunch Box Bunch here.

The Ripple

Sometimes I imagine more than just 2 people read what I have to say on here. I imagine some people care about what is on my mind and in my heart other than a passing comment they hear from me.

Truth is, though, I love to write.

So it is with any passion. You do it not so much for the attention, but for the joy of the activity. And when you do it for the simple joy of doing it, you find shelter from critics and cynics. You may still be attacked, but you're not really doing it for their approval.

So I write, I sing, I bike, I travel, I tinker on instruments, I love people, I help people.

I know my writing doesn't win any awards, my singing doesn't turn heads, my playing doesn't soothe any soul, my loving is considered futile, my help is seldom noticed, I can only visit so many places, and I'm going to get all sweaty biking.

But this is who I am.  This is where I find joy.  This is how I express myself.  I cannot walk away from who I am - regardless of those critics and cynics - or else I fall into a life of confusion.

Don't forsake who God has made you to be.  Don't settle for what others tell you that you are.  Challenge it with the One who made you, and find out really who you are.

Everyone has something wonderful to add to this life.  Even you.  Even me.  Let's do it and do it well.

This weekend ends one year and starts a new one.  You have another opportunity to throw yourself as a pebble into a pond.  You have the opportunity to create new, beautiful, adventurous, calming waves with who you are.

Go ahead, make your ripple.

Happy New Year.

The Least of These: Compassion International

I've been sharing about organizations I'm close with that do an incredible job of sharing the opportunity to give to those who are looking for such an opportunity.  Just because Christmas Day is over, people are still in need.  Try to practice giving all year long this coming year and see how much joy it can bring you!

Today, I hope you'll visit Compassion International's website HERE to see what neat ideas you can do for Christmas giving.  As with Samaritan's Purse, you can give items such as chickens, cows, medical care,  or even survival kits!

This is a touching video explaining how giving on your end impacts the recipient.  YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE! It doesn't take much to make a ripple in a pond.  Throw a small stone in the pond of GIVING and see how big of an impact it can make.

Happy Giving!

Christmas Day

"Christmas, my child, is love in action... Every time we love, every time we give, it's Christmas." - Dale Evans Rogers

Today, I'm thankful for the love-in-action that God spent on me with the gift of Jesus.  I desperately hope and pray that your Christmas Day is infused with this love in action... that in the deep recesses of  your soul, you will know that you were priceless to God, so He gave everything He had to win you:  He gave himself in the form of a baby.  And they called Him "Jesus".

Discover God again today. 

Blessings to you, my friend.

The Least of These: Hillcrest Children's Home

In an earlier post, I mentioned that I will be sharing some of the organizations that I am closest to in order to encourage you in what you might give to those in need.  I would love to tell you about Hillcrest Children's Home. 

Hillcrest is a division of AG Family Services Agency, and takes in abused and/or neglected children, nurturing them and provide hope, healing, and training to restore the life they were meant to live: one of abundance in Christ.

Hillcrest is a modern-day rescue home.  If you've ever considered giving, but feel led to limit your giving to domestic services, consider sponsoring a child from Hillcrest Children's Home this next year, or even just giving a one time gift to best support the needs of the organization.

If you want to donate, you can go HERE.

Remember, when you give to God, you never lose a penny of your investment.

Here's a short video telling a little more about AG Family Services Agency:

Keeping Giving Simple

In my opinion, giving does more for the giver than for the recipient.  As they say in a popular local version of "The Gospel According to Scrooge",  a present is not about the gift, but the giving.

I don't want to lose sight of the fact that giving comes in so many different forms.  A tangible gift is such a blessing most of the time, but there are times when someone simply needs an ear, a hand, or an encouraging word.  Here are some ideas I thought I might challenge you with.  Pick one and choose to do it during this holiday season to give a gift that can never be labeled with a price tag. And my hope for you is that you receive the joy of giving in response to your gracious act.

1. Call or text a random friend to tell them something you think is spectacular about them.  
2. Send a letter in the mail to someone you know spends a lot of time alone.
3. Help your neighbor decorate, carry in groceries, or trim their lawn.
4. Take a walk and give a genuine smile to every person you pass.
5. Invite someone over for hot coco and a holiday movie when you know they're down.
6. Accept the offer of the bagger to help you to your car, and ask them about their life.
7. Send an e-mail to a friend who is struggling with a big decision to encourage them.
8. Hug an elderly person at church (gently!).
9. Give a high-five to a little kid who looks sad and tell them how awesome they are.
10. Offer to pick up or take home a co-worker who lives nearby when they're having car trouble.
11. Wish the cashier a "great day!"
12. Let someone cut in front of you without allowing your blood pressure to rise - consider it a gift to them.
13. Tell your boss how much you appreciate them.
14. Make a homemade dish and double the recipe.  Share half of it with someone you know is struggling financially.
15. Invite someone to your local coffee shop for a "catch-up chat".  And pay for them!
16. Show up at a good friend's office and bring them a flower, a cup of coffee, their favorite tea, their favorite candy, or just a coupon you found that you know they would like. Or just give them a hug to let them know you were thinking of them.

What kind of ideas do you have that can brighten and encourage someone's day with little or no cost involved?

The Least of These: Samaritan's Purse

December is a month I think about giving.  Not just for the potential tax benefit, but most importantly, for blessing others in need.  Giving, to me, is one of the most fulfilling things in the world.

Some people give money, some give time, some give encouragement, some give prayers, there are many ways to give.

I was recently talking with a friend who said they are always looking for opportunities to give to "worthy causes", and it spurred me on to thinking about some of the "worthy causes" I'm close to.  I thought I'd share some with you.

Today, I want to tell you about Samaritan's Purse.  Samaritan's Purse is an organization that is one of the first responders for aid in foreign and domestic emergencies.  They are in as quickly as the Red Cross and have stations all over the world to ensure quick distribution of needed items to people in crisis.

I am really excited about what Samaritan's Purse is doing for Christmastime.  In addition to providing thousands of shoe boxes to children all over the world with Christmas gifts and discipleship programs to help them learn about God, they have compiled a "Gift Catalog" for people to choose the type of gift they would like to give toward.

For example, you can "Feed a Hungry Baby for a Week" with a suggested donation of $9.

$9.00

That's all it takes to feed one hungry baby for a week.

Do you like to shop for clothes or shoes?  How about this "Crisis Needs: Shoes and clothing".  You can provide an outfit or a warm coat for someone for a donation of $25.00.

And how about this one? Purchase baby chicks for a family to start making an income and work their way out of poverty.  I know a family who has decided to not purchase gifts for each other this year, but to purchase livestock for someone in poverty to be able to start making an income.  They choose sheep and have decorated the base of their Christmas tree with stuffed animals of sheep to represent the sheep that they purchased.  Look at this quick video to see how something like this works:

I've provided a link to the Samaritan's Purse Gift Catalog here for your convenience.  I would encourage you to take advantage of giving something to a child or a person in need this Christmas via Samaritan's Purse.

I promise your gift will not go unnoticed.  You never lose anything when you give to God. And when you give with this heart attitude, you are investing in something that you will never lose value in.

"When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His glorious throne.  All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.  He will put the sheep on His right and the goats on His left.  

"Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.  For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited Me in, I needed clothes and you clothed Me, I was sick and you looked after Me, I was in prison and you came to visit Me.' 

"Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink? When did we see You a stranger and invite You in, or needing clothes and clothe You?  When did we see You sick or in prison and go visit You?'

"The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of Mine, you did for Me.' " - Matthew 25:31-40

Gifts

Do you remember when you got your first bike??? 

This was one of the neatest gifts I received last year at Christmas, and I still use it every week! 

I LOVE my bike!  :)


Every year, my family does a scavenger hunt for someone's gift.  It is so much fun!  So much of our gift-opening time is spent just having fun.  The gift is special, yes, but the gift is more than just the product: it is the time the person put into thinking about the gift and seeking it out.  And it's the memories that are made when planning the surprise and enjoying the gift later. 

I found my bike!  This was the result of a Christmas-day scavenger hunt 2010!

Try doing something a little different this year and make a scavenger hunt! 

I'm off to take a ride....

Month in Review-November

I looked down at my calendar today and said "Wow! Tomorrow is the first day of December!"  Time has really whizzed by these last few weeks. 

This month was full of good things, such as taking another part of the CPA exam (still don't know my score yet!), surprising my family with a house full of holiday decorations, my brother's graduation from another school in the Army, running my first 5K race, a heartwarming Thanksgiving Day surprise of my brother coming in from his Post for the holiday weekend, a stunning Thanksgiving Day feast prepared almost ENTIRELY by my father, and a surprise visit from my Boston family. 

November has been delightful and difficult at the same time.  As a matter of fact, most of my year has been like that.  I'm so thankful for the delightful times.  I don't care for the difficult times, but if I look at them from a different perspective, I can always see how God makes the difficult into beautiful and useful.  Like polishing rubbish to find a treasure. 

I know I have treasure deep inside me.  Some parts of it are surfacing and shining, other parts are still buried under "difficult" that I need to get through in order for the treasure to shine. 


But all in good time, I will surely be shining forever... 

Can't wait for that day!

:)

Happy November, everyone! 

Fall Is Here!

I just love fall.  I love most things about nature, but it is quite lovely in the fall.  Leaves change, the weather gets cooler -but not unbearably so, my area starts to get busier as we have more tourists arrive, stores start hiring, menus change, clothing styles change, people become more generous (in general), and for some reason hope becomes brighter.

Some people do not have these things happen, I realize that the above is a blanket statement.  But many people I know do experience these things in the fall.

In the fall, many people participate in long-standing family or community traditions.  I don't know that my family has kept any particular fall traditions, but we did have a fun time doing something others have often enjoyed: pumpkin carving!

When my brother graduated from basic training, the joke was that the day before graduation was called "Hot Mama, Hot Sister Day".  We had mused about making t-shirts and wearing them that day, but decided against it overall.  We did, however, decide to represent this little piece of Army tradition in our fall decor.

And since we have a new female in the mix, we added a line to those titles:  Hot Mama, Hot Sister, and Hot Girlfriend!!!  Look at how our "decorations" came out!!!

When she got to her third word, Jeanna decided that the "friend" part of her new title would probably not fit on the pumpkin's face, so we just left it at "girl".

What a fun night!  After we cleaned up our mess, we roasted the pumpkin seeds and have enjoyed them for over a week!

Did you carve a pumpkin for part of your fall decor this year??

Pumpkinstein to the rescue!

It is a well known fact that flowers mean a lot to most females.  This is one reason why I was so delighted when I had this cute arrangement waiting for me when I got home the other day!  I like to call it my Pumpkinstein bouquet, because the pumpkin face has a scar on the top left side of it.

This sweet gesture meant so much to me when I was having a rough day.  What kind of things make you feel cared for?