We have had a wonderfully busy couple of weeks with decorating, cooking, Christmas shopping, gift wrapping, BudaFest, Christmas parties, Trail of Lights and getting ready for our church's First Annual A Night at Bethlehem.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
simply having a wonderful Christmas time...
We have had a wonderfully busy couple of weeks with decorating, cooking, Christmas shopping, gift wrapping, BudaFest, Christmas parties, Trail of Lights and getting ready for our church's First Annual A Night at Bethlehem.
Merry Christmas...
May God bless you and keep you...may His face shine upon you. May we make room for Him and keep our eyes on Him throughout the season and the new year.
Friday, December 5, 2008
a heavy heart...
My heart is heavy from Celebrate Recovery last night. The joy of being able to celebrate our growth and recovery is such a beautiful blessing. The Shadow of our struggles...heartbreaking. It was a heavy night last night. I am nursing a hurting heart today. For the lost. For the broken. For the hurting, the angry, the lonely. However, I trust in the Lord and give it all to Him. I praise Him through this...He is Jehovah Rapha...the God who Heals...He is Emmanuel...God with Us. He is our Refuge, our Strength, our very present help in time of need. He is my Shield and my Song. My reason for this season.
My Grown Up Christmas List
Do you remember me
I sat upon your knee
I wrote to you
With childhood fantasies
Well, I'm all grown up now
And still need help somehow
I'm not a child
But my heart still can dream
So here's my lifelong wish
My grown up Christmas list
Not for myself
But for a world in need
No more lives torn apart
That wars would never start
And time would heal the heart
And everyone would have a friend
And right would always win
And love would never end oh,
This is my grown up Christmas list
As children we believed
The grandest sight to see
Was something lovely
Wrapped beneath the tree
But heaven only knows
That packages and bows
Can never heal
A hurting human soul
No more lives torn apart
That wars would never start
And time would heal all hearts
And everyone would have a friend
And right would always win
And love would never end
Oh, This is my grown up Christmas list
What is this illusion called the innocence of youth
Maybe only in our blind belief can we ever find the truth
No more lives torn apart
That wars would never start
And time would heal all hearts
And everyone would have a friend
And right would always win
And love would never end, oh
This is my grown up Christmas list
This is my only life long wish
This is my grown up Christmas list
My Grown Up Christmas List
Do you remember me
I sat upon your knee
I wrote to you
With childhood fantasies
Well, I'm all grown up now
And still need help somehow
I'm not a child
But my heart still can dream
So here's my lifelong wish
My grown up Christmas list
Not for myself
But for a world in need
No more lives torn apart
That wars would never start
And time would heal the heart
And everyone would have a friend
And right would always win
And love would never end oh,
This is my grown up Christmas list
As children we believed
The grandest sight to see
Was something lovely
Wrapped beneath the tree
But heaven only knows
That packages and bows
Can never heal
A hurting human soul
No more lives torn apart
That wars would never start
And time would heal all hearts
And everyone would have a friend
And right would always win
And love would never end
Oh, This is my grown up Christmas list
What is this illusion called the innocence of youth
Maybe only in our blind belief can we ever find the truth
No more lives torn apart
That wars would never start
And time would heal all hearts
And everyone would have a friend
And right would always win
And love would never end, oh
This is my grown up Christmas list
This is my only life long wish
This is my grown up Christmas list
Monday, December 1, 2008
tis the season...
I read this post today and thought it was wonderful...especially during this season...not just the season of shopping, gift giving, lights, sweets and garland, but of our Savior's birth. The beginning of the life that was sent to give life through death. Thank you, Lord, for loving me. And help me be a walking testimony to the modern day miracles you still do...not just by my actions but by the word of my testimony.
"This past Saturday, I got to spend some time with my friend Ruth Graham. She is the third daughter of Billy Graham but you would never know she is part of a world renowned family. Ruth is so very humble and unassuming. She's also a fun girlfriend who loves to shop and laugh. During our time together, we toured the Billy Graham Library located here in Charlotte. To be honest, I wasn't that excited about touring a library. I had pictured in my mind rows of dusty books surrounded by a few black and white photos from years gone by. Boy was I wrong! The Billy Graham Library tour is one of the most fascinating journeys through modern day history that I've ever taken. If I could describe the experience in one word- moving! In one part of the tour, there was a large sign with a story printed on it hanging on the wall. As I stood there and read it, my eyes filled with tears. I was once again reminded of the great importance for us to be obedient and share Jesus with others. Even when we are in everyday situations where it may be a little uncomfortable to do so. Now, I'm not talking about being obnoxious and throwing out some hell fire and brimstone in the middle of the grocery store. I'm talking about telling God I am willing and then following through when he leads me to share. As I read the following story, I kept picturing myself venturing into a shoe store one day, completely unaware of the amazing chain of events that God was about to put in motion. And I'm so very challenged. Would I have been obedient with this shoe salesman? I hope so. Oh, how I hope so.
Here's the story that hangs in the Billy Graham Library:
Edward Kimble and the Shoe Salesman
It was July 1, 1885 when Edward Kimble felt the tugging of the Spirit to share his faith with a young shoe salesman he knew. At first Kimble vacillated, unsure if he should talk to the man. But he finally mustered his courage and went into the shoe store. There Kimble found the salesman in the back room stocking shoes, and he began to share his faith with him. As a result, the young shoe salesman prayed and received Jesus Christ that day. That shoe salesman's name was Dwight L. Moody, and he became the greatest evangelists of his generation.But the story doesn't end there. Several years later a pastor and well-known author by the name of Frederick B. Meyer heard Moody preach. Meyer was so deeply stirred by Moody's preaching that he himself embarked on a far-reaching evangelistic ministry. Once when Meyer was preaching, a college student named Wilbur Chapman accepted Christ as a result of his presentation of the gospel. Chapman later employed a baseball player to help him prepare to conduct an evangelistic crusade. That ballplayer, who later became a powerful evangelist himself, was Billy Sunday.In 1924 a group of businessmen invited Billy Sunday to hold an evangelistic campaign in Charlotte, North Carolina, which resulted in many people coming to Christ. Out of that revival meeting a group of men formed a men's prayer group to pray for the world. They prayed for Charlotte to have another great revival. God sent another evangelist named Mordecai Hamm. Hamm went to Charlotte in 1934 to hold a crusade. Ham's crusade went well, even though it did not have many converts. On one of the last nights under the big tent one tall, lanky young man walked up the aisle to receive Christ. That man's name was Billy Graham.Talk about a chain of events! And it all started with an ordinary Christian named Edward Kimble, who reached D.L. Moody, who reached Wilbur Chapman, who reached Billy Sunday, who reached Mordecai Ham, who reached Billy Graham. Look at what God has done over these many years because of the faithfulness of one person.Just think of what God could do with you..."
"This past Saturday, I got to spend some time with my friend Ruth Graham. She is the third daughter of Billy Graham but you would never know she is part of a world renowned family. Ruth is so very humble and unassuming. She's also a fun girlfriend who loves to shop and laugh. During our time together, we toured the Billy Graham Library located here in Charlotte. To be honest, I wasn't that excited about touring a library. I had pictured in my mind rows of dusty books surrounded by a few black and white photos from years gone by. Boy was I wrong! The Billy Graham Library tour is one of the most fascinating journeys through modern day history that I've ever taken. If I could describe the experience in one word- moving! In one part of the tour, there was a large sign with a story printed on it hanging on the wall. As I stood there and read it, my eyes filled with tears. I was once again reminded of the great importance for us to be obedient and share Jesus with others. Even when we are in everyday situations where it may be a little uncomfortable to do so. Now, I'm not talking about being obnoxious and throwing out some hell fire and brimstone in the middle of the grocery store. I'm talking about telling God I am willing and then following through when he leads me to share. As I read the following story, I kept picturing myself venturing into a shoe store one day, completely unaware of the amazing chain of events that God was about to put in motion. And I'm so very challenged. Would I have been obedient with this shoe salesman? I hope so. Oh, how I hope so.
Here's the story that hangs in the Billy Graham Library:
Edward Kimble and the Shoe Salesman
It was July 1, 1885 when Edward Kimble felt the tugging of the Spirit to share his faith with a young shoe salesman he knew. At first Kimble vacillated, unsure if he should talk to the man. But he finally mustered his courage and went into the shoe store. There Kimble found the salesman in the back room stocking shoes, and he began to share his faith with him. As a result, the young shoe salesman prayed and received Jesus Christ that day. That shoe salesman's name was Dwight L. Moody, and he became the greatest evangelists of his generation.But the story doesn't end there. Several years later a pastor and well-known author by the name of Frederick B. Meyer heard Moody preach. Meyer was so deeply stirred by Moody's preaching that he himself embarked on a far-reaching evangelistic ministry. Once when Meyer was preaching, a college student named Wilbur Chapman accepted Christ as a result of his presentation of the gospel. Chapman later employed a baseball player to help him prepare to conduct an evangelistic crusade. That ballplayer, who later became a powerful evangelist himself, was Billy Sunday.In 1924 a group of businessmen invited Billy Sunday to hold an evangelistic campaign in Charlotte, North Carolina, which resulted in many people coming to Christ. Out of that revival meeting a group of men formed a men's prayer group to pray for the world. They prayed for Charlotte to have another great revival. God sent another evangelist named Mordecai Hamm. Hamm went to Charlotte in 1934 to hold a crusade. Ham's crusade went well, even though it did not have many converts. On one of the last nights under the big tent one tall, lanky young man walked up the aisle to receive Christ. That man's name was Billy Graham.Talk about a chain of events! And it all started with an ordinary Christian named Edward Kimble, who reached D.L. Moody, who reached Wilbur Chapman, who reached Billy Sunday, who reached Mordecai Ham, who reached Billy Graham. Look at what God has done over these many years because of the faithfulness of one person.Just think of what God could do with you..."
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