Four voices on NPR and I am hooked. These guys are amazing! This is one of the hardest Christmas songs I have ever learned to sing. And one of the singers commented on NPR that it was difficult for him to learn, also. And then he was amazed at how it all worked with four of them taking turns with the lead. Even if you are tired of Christmas music I encourage you to listen to this acapella quartet.
My friend, Dan, blogged featuring the music from The Chosen Christmas Special. If you missed it you can watch it anytime on You Tube. This series has encouraged and gladdened us for the past two years. They are about to begin year three. Bob and I both highly recommend it!
Are you in a stance of worship? Bowing down? Lifting your hands towards heaven? Looking up towards beings more intelligent than us that worship God and proclaim His wonders on the earth?
bowing down
Lifting your hands
Looking up towards beings more intelligent than us
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:4-7
Some say the Bible is full of things you should not do. No worries about those things if you focus on things you are instructed to do!
Rejoice. Rejoice again. Be gentle. No anxiety – or if it comes send it away as quickly as you are aware of it. Soak every situation in prayer and petition. Always use thanksgiving liberally. All requests are to go right to God. God will give back a transcendent peace, beyond your understanding. He will help guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus. Bow down before Him. Look up. Listen for the voice of the Lord be it through angels, prophets, brothers and sisters in Christ, the Word of God, printed material a statement on radio, TV, blog, podcast, etc.
As I get older and my body is not nearly as flexible as it used to be I love the line from this prayer that says, “Now I bend the knee of my heart.” Yes, sometimes I think the prayer of Manasseh says it best:
O Lord Almighty, God of our ancestors, of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and of their righteous offspring; 2 you who made heaven and earth with all their order; 3 who shackled the sea by your word of command, who confined the deep and sealed it with your terrible and glorious name; 4 at whom all things shudder, and tremble before your power, 5 for your glorious splendor cannot be borne, and the wrath of your threat to sinners is unendurable; 6 yet immeasurable and unsearchable is your promised mercy, 7 for you are the Lord Most High, of great compassion, long-suffering, and very merciful, and you relent at human suffering. O Lord, according to your great goodness you have promised repentance and forgiveness to those who have sinned against you, and in the multitude of your mercies you have appointed repentance for sinners, so that they may be saved.[a] 8 Therefore you, O Lord, God of the righteous, have not appointed repentance for the righteous, for Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, who did not sin against you, but you have appointed repentance for me, who am a sinner.
Confession of Sins
9 For the sins I have committed are more in number than the sand of the sea; my transgressions are multiplied, O Lord, they are multiplied! I am not worthy to look up and see the height of heaven because of the multitude of my iniquities. 10 I am weighted down with many an iron fetter, so that I am rejected because of my sins, and I have no relief; for I have provoked your wrath and have done what is evil in your sight, setting up abominations and multiplying offenses.
Supplication for Pardon
11 And now I bend the knee of my heart, imploring you for your kindness. 12 I have sinned, O Lord, I have sinned, and I acknowledge my transgressions. 13 I earnestly implore you, forgive me, O Lord, forgive me! Do not destroy me with my transgressions! Do not be angry with me forever or store up evil for me; do not condemn me to the depths of the earth. For you, O Lord, are the God of those who repent, 14 and in me you will manifest your goodness; for, unworthy as I am, you will save me according to your great mercy, 15 and I will praise you continually all the days of my life. For all the host of heaven sings your praise, and yours is the glory forever. Amen.
Such a mighty and gracious God we serve! Verse 15 For I will praise You continually all the days of my life. Yes, Father help us to do just that.
Though we are not in the deep throes of winter here, the stream of consciousness brought this poem to the foreground. May it spark something good in you today!
A few disconsolate leaves
blow and tumble over the ice pack
soon to be trammeled to muck
by rainstorm later today
Rest me now, I pray.
Take me to the center-down silence of surrender
Pour Your living water over my soul
Prepare me for resurrection life
today and always
Surrender and rest
have to do with moments,
like leaves blown across ice pack
yielding to the wind and rain
“The third Sunday of Advent we are invited to reflect on the joy we have access to because of our faith in Jesus. One of the defining characteristics of Christ-followers is their joyful demeanor. Let’s not allow the struggles of this year to steal from thegreat joy we have because of Jesus.” (Crosswalk.com)
Advent week 3
Philippians 4:4-5 says, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.” Rejoice – to be delighted. To feel or express great happiness. Paul wrote to the Philippians saying do it. And then do it again. And again.
Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:8-9
Our happiness is can be fleeting and momentary. As a child I was allowed to have one birthday party. My mother filled these little baskets with a treat at each place setting. Some fifty years later I came across the same little basket in a party supply store (since gone out of business).
Seeing the basket brought me happiness, not joy.
We have access to more joy than can be gotten through anything one can purchase at a store or online. We have joy that comes from our Savior. His birth caused such joy that angels descended to sing over the earth.
The Anchor devotional for December 2021 reads: ” The difference between happiness and joy is the difference between a short-term pleasant experience and a long-term positive change in circumstances. And the difference between joy and great joy is the difference between believing things are going to be okay, and knowing they are going to be marvelous! Hard times still mark our lives as they did for Jesus and His disciples. But great joy means that it all has purpose and meaning. It will end very well. Enduring life’s challenges may make us strong. But more importantly, it makes us more like Jesus. We may want to be made better for this life, but He intends to make us completely new, perfect, and ready for His eternal kingdom.”
Have you felt that inexpressible and glorious joy? Sit with the Word and the Lord whose birth we celebrate. Ask Him to show you that great joy. “Jesus, we ask You to open our eyes to the great joys that surround us. Help us to do You honor as we remember Your birth and Your return. Amen”
Molded by Your Holy Hand I wait before You Cupped and ready, cleansed, atoned waiting for Your radiant touch Virtue compelled to enfold Your own the vessel of Your making.
Here am I, stuff of earth yielded for Messiah’s birth be it unto me, O Lord, as in Your word and will.
The Great I AM dwells in my heart there to impart the power courage and propulsion for His dream to be fulfilled.
About my illustration:
When our Savior was born He was placed in a manger where the animals usually fed. The manger might have been a wooden log that was hollowed out to hold the feed and hay. A humble beginning and the place where I await Him. Thus the overall shape below.
But the figure is me. Awaiting the Lord’s coming, His fresh in-filling, His power from on high. My heart is marked with the symbol of the cross: I am His forever. I am placed there as an infant. I am His child. I do not have the answers to anything. Receptively is how I am yielded for His will and ways for me. His power, courage and propulsion to fill me in making His dreams for me come true. May my very life and yours be a gift to Him this Christmas and always.
Discovered another book I released when we moved. Silly me. I was able to hear Macrina Wiederkehr speak before she died April 24, 2020 at the age of 81. She has inspired me through her books for many decades.
Do you remember shopping at K Mart? Periodically an announcer would come on the PA system and call shoppers to an area of the store where they could participate in a “Blue Light Special.” Perhaps Macrina was inspired by that announcement?
The book I let go of was entitled Seasons of Your Heart, Prayers and Reflections. Her poem Christmas Shopping spoke so deeply to me that I borrowed the eBook from the library so I could share it with you this Advent season. Read it through. Then read it again slowly and sit with the meanings. I seem to gather new insight each time I read it. Truly, a powerful work though not acclaimed as her best!
O God of words, dear Word made flesh
give birth to my thoughts
change them into words
that will help me Christmas up the lives
of those I love, for I am weak and fragile
scared and empty this year
and still I feel You very near.
Jesus, I think I hear You coming
I think I hear a sound that says
you’ve cared your way into my life again.
I think I see a light more lasting
than the ones we hang on trees
I think I see a world
that’s splashed with God again
so gospelled with his presence
so covered with his love yet, lonely still …
O shoppers, dear shoppers put your carts away.
Please put your carts away
and search deep down within your hearts
for gifts that will not rust or fade
for where your treasure is there is your heart. (Matthew 6:19–21)
O look into your God-splashed, gospelled hearts
and see! See Christmas standing there
waiting to be, not bought but given free.
We are Christmas shoppers, Lord
We are shopping for a way to make your coming last
O take the blind in us and hold it close
O teach us how to see
decorate our lives with your vision
for Christmas, let us see!
O shoppers, dear shoppers hang lights in your hearts
instead of on your trees
for the One we’ve hung our hopes on
has come, and now we’re free
but only if we see.
Jesus, we long for Christmas-eyes.
Please heal the blind in us
for Christmas, eyes that see!
Lucky, our rescue beagle, came to us not knowing how to play with toys. The only way I could get her to take an interest was to affix a treat to the toy. So Olaf has elastic on him to affix a treat, as does the storybook Pokey Puppy, yellow puppy from Tractor Supply, etc.
When we placed the Peanuts characters under the tree this year, she eventually decided that Charlie Brown belonged to her. It took her several days to chew up his collar. We never found the yellow pieces, and I for one did not want to examine her poop. When the stuffing started to fly we removed it from her.
Next was Snoopy. Yep she put a huge hole in his throat. Now the question is do we mount those famous heads on the wall to portray Lucky’s conquests as a hunter? For now they rest in the office closet until I can decide to either pitch them out or mount them. Hmm, would have to put them high enough on the wall that she cannot tear them down!
Wonder what she is wishing for at Christmas? Her other toys so far have not a tear, not a chew. All my daughter’s dogs destroy their toys. Maybe Lucky is related now?
Once while visiting New Mexico Dan and Betty took us to a collection of fascinating ruins. I honestly wondered what the big deal was as we bumped and crashed down a potholed gravel road for what seemed like miles and mile. To this day when I come across one of our photos from there I am stunned to silence.
The Chaco ruins give a bit of insight into life that thrived about the 9th to 12th century BC. Window openings that have lasted all these eons. Doorways, walls, evidence of a large ancient civilization. How did they built these?
https://www.worldhistory.org/Chaco_Canyon/ notes “Chacoans built epic works of public architecture which were without precedent in the prehistoric North American world and which remained unparalleled in size and complexity until historic times – a feat which required long-term planning and significant social organization. Precise alignment of these buildings with the cardinal directions and with the cyclical positions of the sun and moon, along with an abundance of exotic trade items found within these buildings, serve as an indication that Chaco was an advanced society with deep spiritual connections to the surrounding landscape.”
What does this have to do with December 2021? Possibly more than you might think!
“Drinking just two cups of hot chocolate a day helps elderly people keep their brains healthy and their minds sharp by boosting the blood flow to their brains.
“Homeinstead reports that ‘we’re learning more about blood flow in the brain and its effect on thinking skills,’ said lead author Dr Farzaneh Sorond, from Harvard Medical School. ‘As different areas of the brain need more energy to complete their tasks, they also need greater blood flow. This relationship, called neurovascular coupling, may play an important role in diseases such as Alzheimer’s.’”
Back to Chaco from https://www.worldhistory.org/Chaco_Canyon: “The presence of cacao provides evidence of a transfer not only of tangible goods but of ideas from Mesoamerica to Chaco. Cacao was revered by the Maya civilization who used it to make beverages which were frothed by pouring back and forth between jars before consuming during rituals reserved for the elite. Traces of cacao residue were found on potsherds in the canyon likely from tall cylindrical jars which were located in sets nearby and which are similar in form to those used during Maya rituals.”
“It is likely that many of these extravagant trade items, in addition to cacao, played a ceremonial role. They were found predominantly at great houses in enormous quantities within storerooms and burial rooms, alongside items with ritual connotations – carved wooden staffs and flutes and animal effigies. At Pueblo Bonito alone, one room was found to contain more than 50,000 pieces of turquoise, another 4,000 pieces of jet (a dark-colored sedimentary rock) and 14 macaw skeletons.”
I realize that cocoa and hot chocolate are different from one another, but hey! As one source wrote: “Cocoa is a familiar ingredient, whether used for baking or to make hot chocolate, but cacao may be a little less known. With the popularity of eating whole and natural foods as well as vegan diets, however, we are hearing the word more and more with each passing season. It is easy to get confused as to the difference between the two since cocoa and cacao actually have a lot in common, the most important being chocolate.”
So I will raise my cup of hot chocolate to the Chaco architects today and rejoice that I do not have to grind beans to retrieve chocolate. I am also so glad that this is no longer reserved for just the elite! Sure, mine is highly processed, but oh so good! And mixed with coffee to make a mocha? Wow!
We have a spindly tree in our front yard. It has lived here only a few months. The man from the nursery said he picked it out himself. It was the best one he had. When it arrived we had to remove many leaves that were hosts to insect sacs in the form of galls.
Our oak
Streams in the Desert is a collection of devotional writings and quotes collected by Mrs. Charles E. Cowman. Linda gave me a copy in about 1979. Someone had given it to her and she did not care for it. I have continued to read it, not daily every year, but many days over the years. You can easily find it online for free these days.
A portion of the entry for January 16 reads “When God wants an oak He plants it on the moor where the storms will shake it and the rains beat down upon it, and it is in the midnight battle with elements that the oak wins its rugged fiber and becomes the king of the forest.
“When God wants to make a man He puts him into some storm. The history of mankind is always rough and rugged. No man is made until he has been out into the surge of the storm and found the sublime fulfillment of the prayer: “O God, take me, break me, make me.”
January, 2018 Bob and I were both diagnosed with influenza. We had both taken our preventative injection but the flu had made a run around the formula. Within three days he was desperately ill, put into a coma and intubated. I was terrified I would lose him from this life. He had sepsis, organ failure, eventually several forms of pneumonia, MRSA, and was put on dialysis. It was a seriously life threatening ordeal.
Several weeks ago I got a cold. That went into a sinus infection so severe my eyeball sockets ached. I called the doc. Had a telemedicine visit. He decided to put me on antibiotic and low dose of Sudafed. Quizzed me thoroughly about my symptoms. Said some Covid has been similar to sinus infection. I finished the antibiotic. The illness took a turn. One day after I went off Sudafed I sneezed so continuously that I put myself on one dose of Benadryl. That dried up the sneezes. Now I am coughing, and coughing, and did I mention coughing?
Bob has started with similar symptoms though his symptoms have gone to his already congested lungs. I am terrified I have made him ill. Since moving we have spoken more than once about getting a twin bed for one of the spare rooms in case we ever need to sleep apart, like for medical reasons. What if we have not been sleeping apart, one of us gets ill and then the other? Do we still sleep together then or do I need to go order that twin bed delivered?
As the 82 year old guest at our Thanksgiving feast mentioned, “Not everything is Covid.” My brain is racing this morning asking, “But is THIS Covid?” The ordeal with Bob’s health taught me so much about faith and trusting God. I must admit though that I am fearful in this situation. How awful would it be if I give him Covid? With his compromised health he might end up on a ventilator again. (Awfulizing.) Then again, maybe he won’t. Is this pneumonia? Oh Lord, I pray not.
Trust. This morning on the Right Now media app I was listening to teaching by Ann Voskamp from her book one thousand gifts, and these lines struck me in regards to this cough, etc. “If I believe, then I must let go and trust. Why do I stress? What is saving belief if it isn’t the radical dare to wholly trust? I read it in one of the thick commentaries, that two hundred twenty times that word pisteuo is used in the New Testament, most often translated as “belief.” Belief is a verb, something that you do. This is the trust I lack: to know that if disaster strikes, He carries me even there. If authentic, saving belief is the act of trusting, then to choose stress is an act of disbelief … atheism. Anything less than gratitude and trust is practical atheism.”
Even as I type out the above quote a female sparrow lands on the feeder just beyond my computer screen. Birds to this feeder are rare!
“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” MT 6:26 NIV
He keeps me, too. “Lord, I pray You will heal this cough and help me keep my mind from fear and worry. I also pray the house sparrow will build a nest in our spindly oak tree to give me a constant reminder of Your grace and care. Amen.”
It actually seems as if the entire community has this awful cold. Protect those who do not have it, Lord. Heal the rest of us I pray.
My mother would have been ashamed to serve it. Trust me, every bite was eaten!
This year I was making pumpkin pies and some of the filling slopped out of the Kitchen Aid mixer onto the floor. I called Lucky and she was right there to clean it up for me! I would think with all the Kitchen Aid expertise they could have designed something better regarding bowl escapes!
I am certain these too will be eaten up in no time flat!
After Turkey day, being a good Type 2 Diabetic, I will make myself some pumpkin filling with no crust, about 2/3 Splenda and 1/3 sugar. Yum.
Giving thanks for our canned pumpkin. My friend Marsha says the canned pumpkin in Nepal is green and coarse. Yuck.
Treasures in Plain Sight, A Christian Blog 