Some tasks are daunting, and for me that would be writing a devotion for Christmas Eve. There are so many things that could be said about the day. The many ways we celebrate: exchanging gifts, enjoying time with family and friends, and worshipping with brothers and sisters in Christ. We share stories of Christmas past and continue traditions from generation to generation. With all of that being said, there is only one message on my heart today. I want to join the angels in singing, “Glory to God in the highest.” So please sit back, read, and reread the following words from Scripture; words of promise, of hope, of forgiveness and love.
Author Archives: Deb
It’s Time to Wake Up
My husband, Blake, recently shared a story with us about a friend’s two year old granddaughter. It seems this precious precocious little one loves nothing better than to wake up a little earlier than her parents each morning. She then tiptoes out of her own room and creeps into their’s. As quietly as a two year old is capable of creeping! LOL Once in with her mom and dad she crawls up on the bed, gets right next to their faces, and shouts, “It’s time to wake up!”
It is a fun game that is mostly enjoyed by them all! That is until a Sunday morning earlier this year.
Give Thanks in All Circumstances
Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Give thanks in all circumstances! Have you ever struggled with that passage? Here we are in the month of November. Two weeks from today is Thanksgiving. We’ve started preparing for our celebrations by planning menus, sending invitations, designing tablescapes, making shopping lists….
It’s easier to think about being thankful at this time of the year. It’s expected! It’s what we do! Or maybe not, maybe your income has been cut or lost in the past year, maybe you or someone you love is fighting a serious illness, maybe depression is a constant companion, maybe you will be alone for the first time this year, or maybe you are grieving the loss of a loved one.
Follow Me
And He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. Matthew 4:19-20
“Follow me!” Those words were spoken to our grandson by his other grandma last week, and that’s exactly what he did! He has been walking for several months while holding on for balance; on that day, she placed him on his feet and he followed her down the hall all by himself. We have shouted, “Glory Hallelujah!!” that our little 1 lb. 9oz. preemie has accomplished yet another milestone by God’s grace.
I love the above verse, especially the word “immediately.”
God’s Will for You and for Me
October is my favorite month. It may be because we enjoy many birthday celebrations and anniversaries. I am sure that my love of cooler temperatures helps my mood as I am a nester who loves the warmth of the fireplace, a cup of cocoa, and football!
In recent years I have enjoyed the sport even more as we have watched men who care about the image they project both on and off the field. It all began with Kurt Warner, who openly shared his faith as he took our team to a Super Bowl victory. Coaches like Tony Dungy and Jim Tressell, who have guided their teams with passion and with faith and integrity.
Grounded
While my son and I were traveling to the Atlanta airport last week, I received a message from the airline telling me my flight had been cancelled. My mind raced to all of the reasons why that was completely unacceptable. I quickly called the airlines to see what could be done. An agent said, “If you can get here by 5:30PM, we can get you on a flight through Chicago and get you home tonight.” Yeah!!
My dear son got focused on the task at hand, and I walked into the terminal with 60 seconds to spare. Whew! LOL.
Soon the aircraft arrived and the first group of passengers prepared to board.
Hold Me Tight
As I am sitting here writing this afternoon, God has graciously allowed our children and grandson to head for home. Surgery went very well, and the first step of this multi-step process is complete. Abundant thanks to the many of you who took time to stop and pray for him.
He did very well through the hospital stay, yet as expected the first night following surgery was a difficult one for our little guy. The only way he was comfortable was lying flat in the crib, but he wanted the security of having his mommy or daddy right next to him.
Breath
Our family has been a “high maintainance” prayer family the last few years. I have shared with you the story of my husband’s illness and heart surgery, and today I would like to tell you about our grandson. JJ is an eighteen month old bundle of energy and mischief, which in itself is a miracle. You see he was born in February of 2008 at only 24 1/2 weeks gestation. He entered the world at a whopping 1 lb. 9 oz.
It had only been five months since his grandpa’s rare and dangerous surgery, and five weeks since the death of his great-grandma, my mom.