More than just a card..........

Good Morning Friends!



If you have known me for any extended period of time you know I LOVE Christmas. I love the music, the lights, the smells, how much nicer people seem to be in general, and I love giving and receiving Christmas cards, hint hint! It seems like sending Christmas cards are becoming a thing of the past, and that makes me a little sad. I know not everyone is going to love sending Christmas cards but if someone has taken the time to sit down and include you in the list of people to remember for Christmas, and you might be one of those people,  maybe you might consider, at the very least, having some cards on hand just so that you can return the thoughtfulness and send them a card in thanks for them thinking of you?


For many sending Christmas Cards is not just a tradition, it is an opportunity. For example. Each year, weeks before sending out cards, I window shop for a while before choosing or settling for the card I will send out that year. I think I have only sent out photo cards once or twice, typically I send out the traditional cards, put I love it with I get the photo cards. Once the card has been chosen I grab a cup of holiday cheer, cider, pumpkin spice, or Christmas Cocoa, put on some Christmas music and begin. Sounds pretty normal right? Well as we all know I am not normal.  As I go down my list and write out each address, one by one,  I also start to pray for that person and their families. I pray for stronger marriages and Godly children. For daily provision and unexpected blessings. For loving conversations and renewed appreciation. For restored health and increased faith. For grace and mercy and love to abound in their lives. Each time I whisper a prayer, I am reminded of how blessed I am and how grateful to God I am for placing these special people in my life. Truth is sometimes it may take more than just one set down, but it is important to me to give more than just a card to those I hold dear enough to even consider sending a card to.

I tell you this, not to make anyone feel bad about not sending me a card in return, but to remind you that for most people who do send out cards, rather it is holiday or birthday or something in between, it is never just a card, but a symbol of a much greater thing, that YOU are loved and thought of.

If you have not yet read the "Five Love Languages" I highly recommend the read. So many relationships struggle because we fail to love someone in the way they need to be loved. People who send out cards, year after year, regardless of how many return one, are usually some of the most thoughtful and caring people you know. They are also some of the most forgiving and in many cases also feel unloved sometimes. Why? We tend to love people the way we want to be loved, and yes something that may seem silly to you, like sending a card in return,  can be quite meaningful to someone else. There is that saying , 'to know me is to love me' but it should  be 'to love me is to know me'.

Just some thoughts :)

PS My mailing address is: 23838 NW 176th Ave, High Springs FL 32643. LOVE YA!!!!!!

Just don't be you.........

Good morning my friends,

I thought before my day got too busy, with meeting after meeting, at this quarterly board meeting I was just stop and chat with you.
I am sitting on my balcony at the Ponte Vedra Inn Beach Resort. I am about 100 yards from the shoreline and breathing in the salty breeze as my ears enjoy the sounds off crashing waves, which is what finally put me to sleep last night.

I must admit the beach is definitely one of my 'happy places". This is a place that I cannot help but see the wonderful works of God's hands. The vastness and depths of the oceans, and all that dwell within it has always left me in wonder and amazement. There is nothing 'man-made' that compares to all the glorious things that God simply spoke into existence.

Last night, or should I say, in the early morning hours, I came across something on Facebook shared by an acquaintance. It was an article written in the Huffington Post titled "White, conservative, Christians- I wish you really were pro-life", on which the acquaintance replied that they agree wholeheartedly. To be quite honest, I found the article irritating mostly because it was directed at this white, conservative, christian, who does not fall under the description laid out in that article, not to mention the contents could be directed at any race, political and religious individual, but was singling out one group, mine.

Stereotyping is just as bad as racism and discrimination. No one is perfect, but no one should be found guilty of acts and behaviors committed by someone else, or should they? The article spoke of love for all life, and yet I heard hate and disgust towards white, conservative, Christians. IF there is to be this proclamation of your love for life, all life, does that not include the white, conservative, Christian?


Like any other thing, there are good Christians and not so good Christians. There are those with God's agenda and those with their own hiding behind or using their faith or religion as the reason why they behave so poorly in the sight of others. I will be the first to admit that I am embarrassed and even angered by some who claim to be apart of my faith family, because if God's message of love is not what others see in you then you have much to learn about how to be less of you and more of Him.

In God's word we are warned that we would be persecuted, and I can live with that knowing that Christ paid the ultimate cost, and if He can pay the price for the crimes/sins of others, who am I to really be upset regarding the article? If you claim to be a Christian, and don't take this the wrong way, but don't be you, be Him, filter all that you are through grace and mercy, get back to the basics people. If you don't have anything nice to say, if it does not build up, if it looks or sounds like anything other than the red letters, just don't be you. (I am saying this to myself included)

Well have a great day everyone and thanks for being my friends :)

Ten Commandment NO, NO.............

Hello my Friends!

In 586 B.C. and unimaginable thing happened: The Babylonians destroyed the temple in Jerusalem. This building represented God’s presence with his people, The Israelites, and ensured they would always have a way to worship God. Interestingly, it was God who used a pagan nation to punish the Israelites for their idolatry. Big Ten Commandment NO, NO. No other god’s is numero uno. I don’t know about you but I personally tend to list things from most important to least important. The destruction of the temple was a beginning, not an end although I am certain the Israelites did not see it that way. Eventually the Israelites rebuilt the temple, but it was not as awesome as the one Solomon built. Be that as it may, it continued to serve as the center of Judaism’s life and worship.

During the time of Jesus, the temple remained of vital importance to the Jewish people.  This is the place where their sins were acknowledged and dealt with and where God revealed His presence to His people in a unique way. Imagine how shocked it must have been for them when Jesus declared, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2:19). Jesus was obviously very creative but unfortunately the Jewish people did not realize the temple Jesus spoke of was Himself.

Although it did not seem like good news then, this would change everything, and we all know how unsettling change can be. For the Jewish people, all that they had come to know about connecting with God, passed down from generation to generation, would now be irrelevant. No longer a need to go to the temple, no animal sacrifices or Levitical priests. In one single conversation, the place of worship was relocated.  God wanted more from His people then just time at the temple. God wanted worshippers who would worship Him in “spirit and truth” by means of Jesus, who is not confined to a specific place and time. We are all aware of those “come to Jesus” moments we have when we take time out of our busy lives to designate time to go to church and turn our focus to God. It feels so good and we wish that we could always feel that way, and because of Jesus we can, if we would only turn our focus to Him throughout the day, every day.

Idolatry is still alive and well in our lives, it is just disguised in a way that seems less obvious than praying to another god or some idol. Whenever we love and serve anything in the place of God, we are engaging in idolatry. That can be our husbands, children, favorite past time, TV, books , anything that we pursue, serve or are emotionally drawn to more than to God. What takes up most of your time? No I am not saying any of these things are bad, but just as we connect with God through the filter of Jesus, we too must filter all that we do through Him, as Christians. This may of course require some changes in our choices. By filtering our choices through Jesus, we make Him our focus, and it may not be a catchy tune, or resounding word, or a prayer than moves mountains, but it is worship.

The point I want to make is that Jesus, our connection to the Father, is not confined to the four walls of our churches, He is in us, all around us, always present, no sick days, vacations, holiday leave, etc., He is where and whenever we are regardless if we choose to acknowledge him.

I use to joke about caring around a little Jesus. Why? So that I would never be tempted to be so involved with living this temporary life,  that the life He gave seemed insignificant. I owe all that I am and every hope to be to Jesus, and He deserves to be acknowledged in every moment of my life, good, bad and ugly.  That is worship.

Arise worshippers, God wants to spend more time with you!

Unsettling

I have not blogged much lately and truth be told, my emotions have been a little high due to the presidential race. I do not recall a time when I have seen more ugliness between two candidates or "we the people". I have read comments from family and friends, christian and non-christian, that I find embarassing as an American and a christian. The moral and spiritual decay of this country is growing at alarming rates and I fear it will only continue in that direction.

I am not overly thrilled about either candidate but it is evident that one of them will become our Commander and Chief. I have never felt so unsettled about my decision of whom to vote for then I do right now.

I am not a worrier but I have great concerns about the state of this country under the leadership of either of these candidates. Even though I realize that there is not one man or woman who truly runs this nation alone, the influences they have in that postion can certainly be weighed in their favor.

I have been questioned this week, several times, regarding my views as a christian regarding this or that, I even had someone ask me to pray for them and others who are passionate about this county as they are. My response was that I pray for this country and all "we the people" because I believe the one thing that damages this country, above all else, is the division between us.

It is obvious that we, as a country, have steppped out from under the unbrella of God's authority, and have not yet figured out, that as long as we continue to stay out from under it, we will not see or experience the wisdom and leadership we so desperately need as a nation.

As an American, I find this presidential race to be appaulling and with the way that we behave,  no other country can cripple us more than we are crippling ourselves, we are our own worst enemy.

The election is only a few short weeks away, prayerfully seek God's guidance with me that we not vote our conscience but rather we vote underneath the unbrella of God's authority, not our passions or emotion regarding this or that, but based on biblical foundations that once was the foundation of this nation - God.

I hope you are all well.

Niece's Wedding..........

Please welcome Mr. & Mrs. Taylor & Family - Addy
 

 The wedding was on Saturday and much work was put into getting it ready and I had quite a bit of help and although I am grateful for all the help I felt unorganized and unfocused probably because I am use to working with a team of two to four but we made it work. To the left is a photo of the Bride - Brittnie, Groom - Phillip, and Flower girl, Phillip's daughter. I wish them all the blessings as they begin a life together as husband and wife and family.

Cupcakes by: Ginny Keough
Wedding Cake by: Joanie Winsett


 To the right is the dessert table which includes three flavors of cupcakes: Lemon, red velvet and white. Ginny Keough did a wonderful job, everyone commented on how moist they were and I heard some say how delicious the frosting was. I am not a big frosting fan, but I tasted it and they were right, it was good! My sister, Joanie, made the bride and grooms cake and it too was tasty!
Much thanks ladies, you both  did an awesome job.

Needless to say I am spent! Thank you everyone who helped make this a special day for my niece. It was an honor to have been asked to help her with making it a special day. My only regret is that my sister Angie was unable to be a big part of it, chemo is taking it's toll, I felt a sense of guilt being in a role that the mother of the bride is usually such a huge part of but at the same time I am grateful that she recognized that I did not just do it for her daughter but for her too because if the situation had been reversed I know that she would have been there for me too.

Have a wonderful day everyone.


Reception area

Ceremony guests setting

 



Tyson

Welcome Table



 

Love is...

Photo Booth

Love is....