Our Christmas

Here is a brief photo diary of our Christmas (actually Boxing Day) Visit.

As many of you know, my son returned home after being a prodigal for five years. We did not know if he was dead or alive and just prior to his 20th Birthday, he finally made contact. Our first meeting was on his 20th Birthday for a party.

This Christmas was the first time our entire family had been together in 8 years! This is all that is left of my immediate family. Both of our parents are dead as is my older brother. Robby was gone for five, but we were not able to get together as a family on the same day for the three years prior to that. Robby was only 12!!! So, this was a miraculous and precious day for us all.

The others in the photos are:

My daughter, her husband and their three year old granddaughter - otherwise known as 'the most beautiful grandbaby in the world!'
My son, and his girlfriend
My husband
My sister and her husband

We also had a visitor, who took most of the pictures ... my very best friend ... Anne.

It was truly a magical day for me. Do the pictures show it? I think the kids were a little frustrated with so many pictures, but I know in a few years they will be so glad that we did it. Actually, neither of them realized that it had been that long since we were all together as a family.

pinched

You Are Prancer

You are the perfect reindeer, with perfect hooves and perfect flying form. Why You're Naughty: Because you're Santa's pet, and you won't let anyone show you up. Why You're Nice: You have the softest fur and the sweetest carrot breath.

Which of Santa's Reindeer Are You?

The depth of the riches

I am trying out my hand at writing the devotionals for the internet radio station ... what do you think?

Today's Verse: O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
Romans 11:33 / KJV

Imagine the Apostle Paul writing to the Roman church. There was much to read in Rome in those days ... exquisite poetry, finely crafted moral philosophy, laws, decrees ... but all of it worldly, of no heavenly good.

Paul knew this well. He was very well educated and often, I am sure, debated philosphies with many other educated men during his time in Rome. But Paul now had a much better message to talk and write about. The Lord Jesus! Intimacy is now available with God! From the context of the Scripture, we find that Paul was writing to non-Jews to show them that now the door to the Lord was open for them as well!

He was also expressing how precious it is to know the Lord. In the Biblical sense, 'knowing' means being very, very intimate, to the point of being one. What beauty there is in the anaology of marital intimacy to the Lord.

The natural outworking of Intimacy with the Lord is Fear of the Lord. Awesome, reverent, holy fear of the Lord. And ... in that fear comes wisdom, knowledge and understanding. What awesome gifts!

Proverbs 9:12 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

Isaiah 11:2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him -a Spirit of wisdom and understanding,a Spirit of counsel and strength,a Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.

Oh, the depth of the riches of knowing God!

Today's devotional

Today's Verse: For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
1 Corinthians 1:18 / KJV

In The New Living Translation, we read ... "I know very well how foolish the message of the cross sounds to those who are on the road to destruction. But we who are being saved recognize this message as the very power of God. "

The message of the Cross does seem foolish to many these days. I wonder at the number of Chruch Fathers who wrote exactly these words in generations past. How would they feel if they were to be living now ... in 2005? Do you wonder how they would look at our world today?

I could write for pages on the difference between 'our time' and 'their time', but I suspect that Paul's purpose at the time he penned these words from a prison cell so many years ago was much different. I suspect that his purpose was to turn those who read the words to the Cross and its 'message as the very power of God'.

As I sit at my computer in a world much different from Paul's and that of our Church Fathers, I listen to an internet radio station playing a song with the lyrics ... 'What can wash away our sin, what can make us whole again, nothing but the blood, nothing but the blood of Jesus. Thank You for the Blood!'

The very power which raised Christ from the dead, resides within us as His people. (Romans 8:11). With that power available to us to do His work, we can indeed rest that the message of the Cross is 'the very power of God' and the most beautiful message of all. I challenge you today to meditate and speak upon this truth today.

now this is funny

I found this all over the net, but i understand it found its start at Faith Or Fiction

Please post a comment with a COMPLETELY MADE UP AND FICTIONAL MEMORY OF YOU AND ME. It can be anything you want--good or bad--BUT IT HAS TO BE FAKE. When you're finished, post this paragraph on your blog and be surprised (or mortified) about what people DON'T ACTUALLY remember about you.

Memories - light the corners of my mind~

Misty, water-colored memories~

Of the way we were....

this is hysterical ... i always thought it was ... like the corners of my mind!!! teeeeeeheeeeeee

Word of Faith

what do you know?
what do you think?

i'm struggling with it in my church.

topics please ...

i have been requested to develop and record a series of devotionals for our internet radio station ... wordnetradio.com

i have been thinking of doing a series on 'walking in the Spirit' as that seems to be what God is revealing to me through my counselling practice.

i've been praying that the Lord would reveal what He wants to speak through me.

any suggestions?

maybe some of my friends with more 'well travelled' blogs (you know who you are!!) could suggest what appears to interest people?

robert called today

that's him with 'the world's most beautiful granddaughter'. i wish i had taken a picture of him all dressed up when he was going to school. i bought him several suits and he looked so good ... so pastorly.

here i go digressing again ...

anyhoooo, he did call. i miss his precious face so much, it has been three weeks since i saw him. he sounds terrible. he is not feeling well. it seems that they are dealing with drama after drama ... every time i talk to him there is 'lots of his plate'.

please do pray for my precious boy.

i know he is safely tucked in the Father's Hand. God's will for Robby's life ... it WILL be realized.

ever feel like you need to find a place to rest??

and a friend to rest with??