Christmas Memories...

So where does one begin?

I have a rush a memories flooding my mind -good and sad ones all mixed together, but...i'll stick with the sweet ones.

Okay, so here we go...
--One Christmas I really wanted a particular baby doll. She had a plastic head, arms and legs, but her body was soft-I think she was called, "Baby so Soft." anyway, I really wanted her, but I found out later that my mother said she would not buy me another baby doll. well, when one of my sisters heard that i wasn't going to get the one thing i really wanted for Christmas she saved up her money and bought it for me. my mother, who would not stand for being 'out shined' ran out and bought me one too!  so, on Christmas morning i not only got the dolly i wanted, but twins!!!! it was the best surprise. i delighted in my twins for years. (how amazing to me that the Lord gave me twins in real life too!).

--another story--i remember when i was twelve years old my sisters boyfriend (whom she later married) asked me what was the one thing i always wanted for Christmas and never got. I quickly pulled out a magazine and showed him a picture of a dollhouse. (i remember the first time i saw that dollhouse -i had to have been in the third grade). anyway, he told me that that would be a really nice gift, but there was no way he could afford it. i completely let the idea of ever having my own doll house go.

Christmas morning came and in he walked with the biggest package i had ever seen! with tears in his eyes  and the happiest smile he looked at me and said, "merry Christmas ellie." I slowly opened it. i was too afraid to dream. as i unraveled the paper my dreams came true. i fell in love with it at once. as i stared at it in awe. i heard him say how sorry he was that he couldn't afford the one i wanted, but how he hoped this one would do. then my sister said, "ellie, he designed and made this one for you." i tell you my heart was completely overwhelmed. i felt so loved. ---since that time i have made three dollhouses and refurbished one.  (-two of the dollhouses i have given to my own daughters).

--i remember the first time i ever saw the movie, "it's a wonderful life." it had been a long day of our regular chores on a saturday. i was so tired. my sister made hot cocoa and sat me down to watch the movie. i was glued from the very moment it started. i didn't know who jimmy stewart was or how famous the movie was either, but i did know that God was watching out for this guy, george bailey. i was so touched. so moved. so encouraged. so filled with hope. a hard day turned into a day of joy. best movie ever. i have watched it every Christmas season without fail and my husband even made a movie of it staring himself as george and me as mary. we have a wonderful life, know it and thank God for it!

--as an adult i just loved the first Christmas in our own home. it was a Christmas of alot of  'firsts"
--it was the first Christmas living out of ny,
--first Christmas in a house that my husband and i had recently bought and
-- our first child's first Christmas.
i remember waking up on Christmas morning with more delight and excitement in my heart than ever i was a child. i skipped over to my son's room and scooped him out of his crib. we all went downstairs, played Christmas music, lit a fire in the fire place, and opened presents. the joy, the freedom to be loved and to love. each Christmas that we have had a 'new arrival' join in on the fun it has felt as fantastical as that first one. each Christmas sitting around the den and watching the children open presents, honey video tapping, music playing, fire burning,-- has reinforced how very blessed i am.

so there you have it- just a few memories of Christmas past. i find it is always good to sit and remember. to see how very much the Lord has blessed you and take time to thank Him.

What was Christmas like in Your Home Growing Up?

i'd love to hear about all your
- traditions,
- memories,
-favorite movies,
-songs,
- your favorite present ever!
or -whatever you'd like to share-

I think it would minister to so many if we all just take a moment to share one, two or as many things that come to your heart that made Christmas special.

and then i'll share mine ;)
by the way...Merry Christmas!

The Most Powerful Words You'll Ever Hear (part 2)

Jesus spoke the most amazing, powerful words. I already mentioned some of His life changing words, but Jesus had alot to tell us and it was all powerful:

Jesus said: "But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:44-45  

(Are you kidding me?!!-It's more like hate my enemies and gossip about them behind their back-Why not? they hate me anyway! I have, obviously, been personally convicted by this Bible verse).

Jesus said, "So the last will be first, and the first will be last." Matthew 20:16

(What!!! It's is all about ME being first. I grew up being told to, 'Take care of # 1'-me).

Jesus said, "You cannot serve both God and Money." Matthew 6:24 

(Really??? We are a nation of people who love money- we love new cars, new clothes, a Martha Stewart style home, the best of everything).

Jesus said,  "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all." Mark 9:35

(I was taught, by watching my father, that if you are a leader you lord your power over those under you- you make the servants do all the work. how is it possible that the head serves the foot???).

These words are radical, powerful, life changing, convicting and yet- still not the most powerful words you'll ever hear. The absolute most powerful words you will ever hear is this:

Jesus said,
 "It is finished."

John 19:30

"It is finished." amazing. done. complete...but what does it mean?

Our sin, our mistakes-our "mistakes" done on purpose- all of it, makes us imperfect. God, however, is perfect. Perfect-no sin, no mistakes, no unjustified  anger, perfectly patient, perfectly kind, perfectly loving, perfectly joyful, perfectly at peace, perfectly wise, perfectly self-controlled. Our sin-our 'not-perfectness' separates us from God. nothing we do can ever change the fact that we are imperfect and He is perfect. we can't make ourselves perfect. sure, we can try, but it's of no use.

We can go to church every Sunday, we can be in ministry-even be a missionary, we can give up drinking, smoking, drugs. We can give up promiscuity, stop having fits of rage, lying, stealing, basically- stop breaking the ten commandments, but if we haven't come to the place where we believe that Jesus paid for our sin by dying on the cross -that He took the punishment for all our 'wrongs' well, then, it is all for nothing. All that hard work of trying to be good, trying to earn our way to heaven is for nothing. We can't not be a sinner- we are sinners! We sin in our thoughts! In our words! In our actions! and like any good parent knows, if you disobey the father--there will be a punishment.

Jesus, who was perfect -who never did wrong, took the punishment for our wrongs so we wouldn't be punished. When He uttered the words, "It is finished" He was saying, 'My children who believe in me will never, ever, ever, ever, know punishment. They will not know the threat of being punished or carry the fear of being punished- it is over- it is finished.'

 When the enemy whispers to you and says,

"Jesus will never forgive you for that!"

 it's a lie because,

 "It is finished."

When you have guilt over doing something so dreadfully wrong,

stop.
you know why?

"It is finished."

If "religion" is keeping you from believing
understand- this is not religion-
it is the very words that came from
Jesus' mouth-
He said, "It is finished." not man.

And I think what adds to this amazing statement is that when Jesus died on the cross over 2000 years ago all our sin was in the future then- which means all our sins- past, present and future are taken care of- He took the punishment for it all- for everyone--forever!!! "It is finished!"

"It is finished" are the most powerful words you'll ever hear

 for it carries freedom for the whole world!

"Don't be afraid; just believe." (Mark 5:36)

The Most Powerful Words You'll Ever Hear (part 1)

Jesus said some pretty powerful words to people---

-Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man.
"I am willing." he said "Be clean!"

Immediately he was cured of his leprosy.
 (Matthew 8:3)

-Jesus said to the centurion, "Go!" It will be done just as you believed it would" (Matthew 8:13)

-"Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven." (Matthew 9:2b)

-"Take heart, daughter, he said, "your faith has healed you." (Matthew 9:23)

"When Jesus saw their faith, he said,

"Friend, your sins are forgiven."
 (Luke 5:20)

-Then he went up and touched the coffin, and those carrying it stood still. He said,
"Young man, I say to you, get up!"
The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother."
(Luke 7:14-15)

"But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us."
"If you can?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes."
(Mark 9:22-23)

Now just imagine if you were one of those people Jesus said these words to. Imagine if you had a son who died, a daughter who died and Jesus said to YOU, "Go!" It will be done just as you believed it would" Can you imagine within the next moments your son or daughter rose from the grave? Jesus spoke some mighty powerful words.

Imagine you had leprosy or an issue of bleeding and Jesus said to YOU  "I am willing. Be clean!" 

Those are pretty powerful words. I gotta say if any of these words were spoken to me-or these things happened to me not only would my faith be strong-stronger--I'd be radically changed. I believe that the Word of God or the Bible is as true today as it was thousands of years ago. I believe that the true life stories that were written down by the apostles and disciples of Christ are for US today.

What do I mean...

Okay, so I believe that God inspired the apostles and disciples of Jesus to write the true account of Jesus' stay here on earth. -all the stuff He did and said--people He healed--His teachings--things that God the Father wanted us to know.  Why? What can we glean from the healings Jesus preformed for other people?

 Was it so that we would merely know that Jesus was our healer

or

 is it so that we would know Jesus IS our healer? 

I truly believe that Jesus is our healer today. We read these amazing and miraculous stories not so we would say, "Man, I wish I could go back in time and have Jesus heal me -that guy was lucky." That would be rough.  Jesus wouldn't do that- Jesus gave us the Bible to build our faith. As we read these accounts of healing- faith rises up in us and it strengthens our resolve that we will be healed too. 

I also think it's neat how the apostles didn't take an account of the names of the people healed. No names, isn't that interesting? Important enough for the writers to record the story, but not important enough to write the names? Jesus says things like, daughter, you are well. Son, your sins are forgiven you. No names. Is it so we can put our own name in? "Take heart, Kelly, your faith has healed you." We don't have to wish for Jesus to say these words to us- He has said them-directly to you.

You may have something in your life or some sickness in your life that wasn't mentioned in the Bible and it's hard for you to believe that Jesus will heal you of  that particular thing. Well, it says in the Bible, He healed all their diseases. If the Word of God is as true today as it was 2,000 years ago, then I gotta say that God can heal you now and from whatever disease you've got.

"Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. " (Matthew 4:23)

These are powerful words- powerful truths--we need only believe.

"Everything is possible for him who believes."

(Mark 9:22-23)